Dr. John Mahmarian Inducted as American Society of Nuclear Cardiology's 2012 President

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. John Mahmarian, Director of the Nuclear Cardiology and Computed Tomography (CT) Services at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center in Houston, assumes the presidency of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) this week, praising the Society's members for their ongoing commitment to high quality patient care and vowing to continue ASNC's leadership in developing and promoting nationally recognized standards of care for cardiovascular patients.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101217/MM19827LOGO )

"Our field rests on a strong foundation of clinical data showing that nuclear cardiology is a valuable tool in diagnosing cardiovascular disease and is a key aid in patient management," said Dr. Mahmarian.  "Continuing to refine our guidelines and protocols to match the customized needs of individual patients will only improve patient care and strengthen the role of nuclear cardiology in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease."   

Dr. Mahmarian is recognized nationally and internationally as an authority in nuclear cardiology and cardiac CT imaging. He balances his time between research and an active clinical practice.  Dr. Mahmarian's research addresses how to tailor therapy, reduce healthcare costs, and improve treatment of heart disease using nuclear imaging, including myocardial perfusion imaging, cardiac CT, hybrid imaging, and calcium scoring. He recently spearheaded a multicenter study of stable patients post-myocardial infarction (the INSPIRE trial). His current research interests center around the role of multimodality imaging in assessing risk and guiding therapy among stable patients with coronary artery disease and in those with acute chest pain syndromes.

Dr. Mahmarian has been a member of ASNC for 18 years and has been an active leader, serving on numerous committees and joining the ASNC Board of Directors in 2002.  In 2010, he served as Program Chair for ASNC2010, the 15th Annual Scientific Session of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology in Philadelphia.  He is also a long-standing member of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology's editorial board.

Dr. Mahmarian earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York and completed his post-graduate training at Baylor College of Medicine, where he served as chief medical resident. After completing his cardiology fellowship at Baylor, he was invited to join the faculty and subsequently rose to the rank of professor of medicine. He is board-certified in cardiovascular disease with subspecialty certification in nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular computed tomography.

The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is the leader in education, advocacy, and quality for the field of nuclear cardiology.  Serving 4,500 individuals in over 50 countries, ASNC is the only professional association dedicated to the dynamic subspecialty of nuclear cardiology.

SOURCE American Society of Nuclear Cardiology