Joint investiture celebrates endowed chairs for Drs. Hesham Sadek, Sakthi Sadayappan

Congratulations to Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, and Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, MBA, who enjoyed their investiture as endowed chairs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson with family, friends and colleagues Monday, Feb. 10, in the college’s Social Hall.

See below for photos from the investiture ceremony and learn about a new U of A AHA SURF program to place undergraduate students in mentor’s labs this summer.

A named and endowed chair is of the highest honors a university can bestow on a select number of leadership and faculty positions and is reserved for the most distinguished and productive physicians and scientists.

Dr. Sadek, who joined the college as chief of the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine as well as director of the Sarver Heart Center in late April, attended with his son, Ali, who is an Amgen Scholar and medical student at University of Texas Southwestern, where his father served – before coming to U of A – as associate director of the Center for Regenerative Science & Medicine.

Click on image at right for full investiture program.

Dr. Sadek was named the Allan C. Hudson and Helen Lovaas Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at the college. Continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2011, he’s recognized internationally for his research into regeneration of damaged heart muscle. His seminal discovery of the newborn mammalian heart’s ability to regenerate has altered the landscape of cardiac biology. His current research includes advancing drug discovery to enhance heart regeneration and address rare genetic mutations causing heart failure.

"I am honored and would like to thank Dean Abecassis and Dr. James Liao for their support,” Dr. Sadek said, referring to Michael M.I. Abecassis, MD, MBA, the Humberto and Czarina Lopez Endowed Dean at the College of Medicine – Tucson, and James K. Liao, MD, the Robert S. and Irene Flinn Endowed Chair in Medicine, chair of the Department of Medicine and a member of the Sarver Heart Center as a cardiovascular disease specialist. 

“I would also like to congratulate Dr. Sadayappan, chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and associate director of the Sarver Heart Center, for receiving the Humberto and Czarina Lopez Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research. I am confident that together we will be able to build a world-class cardiovascular program here.”

Dr. Sadayappan joined the college in August, coming from the University of Cincinnati where he was executive director of the Center for Cardiovascular Research. As an internationally recognized scientist, his research focuses on cardiac and skeletal muscle biology, myosin-binding proteins, and cardiomyopathies. His work has played a critical role in understanding heart disease mechanisms and developing new therapeutic approaches.

“I am deeply honored,” Dr. Sadyappan said of his investiture. “This recognition is not just a personal milestone but a testament to the collective efforts of my colleagues, mentors, and trainees who have supported and contributed to my journey in biomedical research.”

Dr. Sadayappan sees his role at the Sarver Heart Center as being to advance the center’s research mission, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and support initiatives that enhance cardiovascular research, education and training. To that end, he noted the college recently was awarded Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) funding through 2027 from the American Heart Association that will enable five undergraduate students, either juniors or seniors, to spend 10 weeks working in a mentor’s lab. CMM faculty member Jared Churko, PhD, is the award’s principal investigator and U of A AHA SURF program director. Current faculty mentors include him, Dr. Sadayappan, Henk Granzier, PhD, Brett Colson, PhD, Samantha Harris, PhD, and Shanna Hamilton, PhD. All also are Sarver members. Learn more and apply here!

Dr. Liao said about the investiture ceremony, “My congratulations to Dr. Sadek and Dr. Sadayappan for their academic accomplishments that are recognized by these prestigious endowed chairs. I look forward to working with them to expand research and training opportunities in the Cardiology division and the Sarver Heart Center.”

He noted the college and center are in the midst of a fundraising campaign to raise $75 million to build an institutionally designated cardiovascular research institute, pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents. In December, it was announced a challenge gift commitment was made by a donor to match $25 million if the college raises $50 million for that campaign. At that time, a $2 million gift from Ginny L. Clements and Tom Rogers, local husband-and-wife business entrepreneurs and philanthropists, also was announced. For ways to give, click here.

MINI-PHOTO GALLERY *
* Click on images to enlarge. Rollover image with mouse for captions.

   

   

   

(Photos courtesy of BioCommunications, University of Arizona Health Sciences)

About the Allan C. Hudson and Helen Lovaas Endowed Chair’s namesakes

Allan Hudson was a central figure in the growth of Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company, a key player in the respiratory care products market. After his passing in 1987, Helen Hudson Lovaas, who worked alongside her husband in the company, became CEO. She successfully expanded the business, overseeing a merger with Respiratory Care Inc. and guiding the company’s continued growth as a global leader in respiratory care technology. One of the first women to serve as CEO of a medical device company, she also served on several prominent industry boards, including Advamed and the American Respiratory Care Foundation. Both of the Hudsons were University of Arizona graduates.

About the Czarina M. and Humberto S. Lopez Endowed Chair’s namesakes

Humberto (Bert) and Czarina Lopez are patrons of the U of A and have given nearly $25 million to the institution. A former U of A student, he’s founder/chairman of HSL Properties Inc., one of Arizona’s largest apartment and hotel owner-operated property management firms, which he co-founded in 1975. Among its holdings are the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, nine other hotels, and nearly 10,000 units in 37 communities, including the Encantada luxury apartment brand in Tucson and Phoenix. Other interests include a number of large shopping centers, among them La Encantada and Oro Valley Marketplace. Through the H.S. Lopez Foundation, they also support education, health, and the welfare of others, including via the Center of Opportunity, a former hotel that, under the management of Gospel Rescue Mission, and in partnership with about 50 local social services and support organizations, is now changing the lives of unhoused Tucsonans.

ALSO SEE:
“Connecting with Sarver Heart Center’s Dr. Hesham Sadek: A Q&A” | Posted Jan. 21, 2025
“Sarver Heart Center gets $2M in gifts to found cardiovascular research institute” | Posted Dec. 20, 2024
“Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can.” | Posted Dec. 20, 2024
“U of A College of Medicine – Tucson welcomes new head of Cellular and Molecular Medicine” | Posted Aug. 19, 2024
“College of Medicine – Tucson welcomes new Sarver Heart Center director, Cardiology chief” | Posted April 29, 2024