Closing the Gap Between Discovery and Care: A Conversation With American Heart Association President Manesh Patel, MD

The American Heart Association (AHA) has named Manesh R Patel, MD, as its volunteer president for 2026-2027, bringing decades of leadership in cardiovascular medicine, clinical research, and quality improvement to the role. Throughout his career, Dr Patel has been a strong advocate for accelerating the translation of scientific discovery into everyday clinical practice—a priority he describes as closing the gap between discovery and care. In this interview, Dr Patel discusses his vision for the AHA, the future of arrhythmia care, the growing role of artificial intelligence, and the opportunities to improve cardiovascular outcomes.