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Dr. Nir Uriel, a renowned leader in the field of heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation, has been appointed director of advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian, effective August 16. Dr. Uriel will also serve as professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and adjunct professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

NewYork-Presbyterian’s heart failure and heart transplant program provides the most advanced, comprehensive cardiac care, treating people with all types of heart failure and engaging in cutting-edge research that is saving lives and improving patient outcomes. It is one of the largest and most experienced heart transplant programs in the nation. In this newly created enterprise-wide position, Dr. Uriel will oversee the expansion of the program across NewYork-Presbyterian, enhancing care for heart failure and heart transplant patients in New York and the surrounding regions, and expanding access to NewYork-Presbyterian’s world-class care. 

Dr. Uriel was recruited to NewYork-Presbyterian, Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine from the University of Chicago Medicine, where he was director of heart failure, transplant and mechanical circulatory support. He also served as the Louis Block Professor of Medicine. Previously, he was a cardiologist with the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and an assistant professor of medicine and director of research for the mechanical circulatory support program at Columbia.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Uriel back to NewYork-Presbyterian as the leader of our advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation program,” said Dr. Laura Forese, executive vice president and chief operating officer of NewYork-Presbyterian. “Dr. Uriel is a gifted clinician, innovative researcher, and a leading authority in the field of mechanical circulatory support. His work has dramatically improved care for patients with advanced heart failure as well as those in need of a heart transplant. Dr. Uriel’s skill and expertise will be instrumental as we expand our heart failure and transplantation services to reach more patients in need of care."

“We are extraordinarily pleased to have been able to attract Dr. Uriel back to NewYork-Presbyterian to lead our Advanced Heart Failure initiatives,” said Dr. Allan Schwartz, chief of the Division of Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and vice chair of the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “He is a thought leader in the field and will help assure NewYork-Presbyterian’s continued international leadership in this field.”

“We are pleased that Dr. Uriel will be joining the Division of Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian,” said Dr. Bruce Lerman, chief of the Division of Cardiology and director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medicine. “His expertise in the areas of heart failure, mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation will bolster our mission to provide the most innovative, compassionate care to our patients.”

An acclaimed physician-scientist, Dr. Uriel’s clinical and research breakthroughs have informed patient care around the world, improving treatment protocols for high-risk transplant populations and for patients who require mechanical circulatory support, including ventricular assist devices (VADs), which aid cardiac circulation to partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart. Dr. Uriel was one of the physicians on the transplant care team that made history by performing back-to-back triple-organ transplants within 27 hours, replacing the failing hearts, livers and kidneys of two patients.

“I am excited to be returning home to NewYork-Presbyterian, an organization that shares my commitment to providing the very best, most compassionate care to patients,” said Dr. Uriel. “Unfortunately, more and more patients are suffering from heart failure, and not every patient is able to access the level of care they need. There are options today that can help improve quality of life and increase longevity for patients with heart failure. Our goal is to reach as many of these patients as possible, regardless of where they live or their means, and provide them with the most advanced care so that they can enjoy life and have more time with their families and loved ones.”

Dr. Uriel’s research focuses on advanced heart failure physiology, heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support. He led the groundbreaking Heartmate 3 trials, which led to FDA-approval for LVAD, an implantable heart pump, as a therapy for patients with advanced heart failure who are not eligible for transplant. In his research, he has sought to better understand the health impact of implantable heart pumps and other devices and developed treatment algorithms used worldwide, changing the way patients are treated. His findings have been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation and more. He has also demonstrated the quality-of-life benefits of a diet rich in fish oil for people with mechanical circulatory support.

Dr. Uriel has a strong interest in high-risk transplant populations, including multi-organ transplant, HIV-positive patients and those with heart failure due to cancer treatment or prior transplants.

Dr. Uriel has published more than 200 original, peer-reviewed articles. In addition, he serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals, including American Journal of Transplantation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

Dr. Uriel was born and raised in Israel. He earned his bachelor’s degree in science and medical degree at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, followed by four years as a physician in the Israeli Defense Force, initially as a combat battalion physician and then as a clinical study supervisor in the Army's medical research corps. He attained the rank of Major.

He returned to Assaf Harofeh Medical Center to complete his residency and a cardiology fellowship, followed by a year on the medical staff. He continued his training at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 2008 with additional fellowships in cardiology, heart failure and transplant and mechanical circulatory support. In 2013, he earned a master's degree in biostatistics from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.