Heart Failure Research Institute

Our Team

The team behind the Heart Failure Research Institute is made up of world-renowned heart failure experts and visionary leaders from NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Leadership Team

Nir Uriel, MD, MSc, FACC

Executive Director, Heart Failure Research Institute
Director, Heart Failure, Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs
NewYork-Presbyterian

Professor of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine

Gabriel Sayer, MD

Associate Executive Director, Heart Failure Research Institute
Associate Director, Heart Failure, Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Programs
NewYork-Presbyterian

Associate Professor of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Erica Lancet, MPA

Director, Strategy and Operations, Heart Failure Research Institute
NewYork-Presbyterian

Steering Committee

Parag Goyal, MD, MSc, FACC

Director, HFpEF and Cardiac Amyloidosis Program
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Associate Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine

Evelyn Horn, MD

Director, Perkin Heart Failure Center
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Professor of Clinical Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine

Mathew Maurer, MD

Director, Cardiac Amyloidosis Program
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Arnold and Arlene Goldstein Professor of Cardiology
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Melana Yuzefpolskaya, MD

Associate Director, Mechanical Circulatory Support Program
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Associate Professor of Medicine
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Additional team members

Brian LaBarre, MS

Biostatistician, Heart Failure Research Institute 
NewYork-Presbyterian

Madeline Checo-Martinez

Program Coordinator, Heart Failure Research Institute
NewYork-Presbyterian

Pooja Vyas, MPH

Project Coordinator, Heart Failure Research Institute
NewYork-Presbyterian

Research Team

Jessica Idumonyi 

Clinical Research Manager, Heart Failure Research Institute 
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Julia Baranowska, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Heart Failure Research Institute 
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Adi Hertz, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Heart Failure Research Institute 
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Sophia Melly, MS, CGC

Clinical Research Coordinator, Heart Failure Research Institute
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Hadley Reinke 

Clinical Research Coordinator, Heart Failure Research Institute
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Taku Sakai, MD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Heart Failure Research Institute
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Sidra Wohlwend

Clinical Research Coordinator, Heart Failure Research Institute
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons