University of Utah afib specialist, Marcos Daccarett, M.D., wins Young Investigator Award

Dr. Marcos Daccarett, an assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, won the Young Investigator Award at the Heart Rhythm Society's (HRS) annual scientific sessions in Denver, May 12-15. He was recognized for his presentation of an abstract entitled, "Left Atrial Structural Remodeling using DE-MRI Independently Predicts Strokes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation."

Dr. Daccarett conducts research on imaging and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) at the University of Utah's Comprehensive Arrythmia Research & Management Center (CARMA). AF is a heart rhythm disorder that affects more than three million people in the U.S. alone and contributes to more than 66,000 deaths each year.

The HRS also recognized CARMA researcher Jessiciah M. Windfelder, MSN, ACNP, in its Allied Professional Category for her abstract entitled, "Extended Holter Monitoring Improves Detection of Recurrence Compared to 48 hour Holter Monitoring Following Atrial Fibrillation Ablation."

This is the second time in three years that the HRS has honored Dr. Daccarett. In 2008, he was part of a research team that received the Society's Eric N. Prystowsky Fellow Clinical Research award for its experimental studies showing how MRI angiograms can be effectively used during atrial fibrillation.

"We are fortunate to have so many exceptional people at CARMA and congratulate Marcos and Jessiciah for their well-deserved awards," said Dr. Nassir Marrouche, the Executive Director of CARMA and director of the University's Atrial Fibrillation Program. "This honor also signifies that the cardiac community worldwide is recognizing how MRI techniques being developed and refined at CARMA will have increasing importance in the AF managment process."

The Heart Rhythm Society is the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders.

Provided by University of Utah Health Sciences