News

When three-month-old Asher Hobby needed a heart transplant, his parents eagerly agreed to help to save another life at the same time. In June 2023 at Duke Health, Asher received a new heart from a deceased donor -- then the healthy valves and arteries from Asher’s old heart were transplanted into another infant with heart disease. Months later, both children are growing stronger and healthier every day. 

Memphis, TN, -- The Hartwell Foundation officially announced today the recipients of the 2021 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards. Each award provides support for three years at $100,000 direct cost per year.

Kevin Hill, MD, MS, was recently named chief of the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Pediatrics, effective April 1, 2022.

Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Cardiology and assistant professor of cell biology, has received a Single Ventricle Research Fund (SVRF) from the nonprofit foundation Additional Ventures.

Duke Children's Hospital has been named a Center of Care by the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation (CCF), a national nonprofit committed to improving the health outcomes and quality of life for children with cardiomyopathy.

Surgeons at Duke University Hospital successfully performed a “donation after circulatory death” (DCD) heart transplant in a pediatric patient, demonstrating the potential expansion of eligible donor hearts for children with heart failure.

This week’s Faculty Spotlight shines on pediatric cardiologist Michael Camitta, MD. Camitta talks to us about how he first became interested in pediatric cardiology as an intern at Duke where he worked with his first research mentor who later became his mother-in-law(!); his insights into the current challenges and opportunities in the field of pediatric cardiology, specifically developing new ways to use technology; and the knowledge he gained from his most significant mentor, Dr. J. Rene Herlong.

Josie Dunnigan became one of the first children in the United States to have what’s known as a double-switch procedure to re-direct blood flow and re-assign the left ventricle with the task of pumping blood out to the body. Since her first heart surgery in 2001 at the age of one and a half, Josie and her family had moved to North Carolina and her mother sought out Dr. Piers Barker for her daughter’s continued care. From 2006 onward, Dr. Barker has served as Josie’s primary cardiologist, seeing her through a total of six heart surgeries by the age of 21.

Andrew Landstrom, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and cell biology, has been named director of the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program for Physician-Scientist Development (DPRS), effective April 1, 2021.