Council Hypertension Trainee Advocacy Resources

Chair

Hana A. Itani, PhD, FAHA
Assistant Professor
American University of Beirut
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Vice-Chair

Brandi Wynne, PhD, FAHA
Assistant Professor
Emory University School of Medicine
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Immediate Past Chair

Augusto Montezano, PhD, FAHA
Research Fellow
Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences
University of Glasgow
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Wissam Aboualaiwi, PhD, FAHA
Assistant Professor
University of Toledo
Term 1, Ends 11/30/2019

Matthew Alexander, MD
Cardiology Fellow
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Amy Arnold, PhD, FAHA
Assistant Professor
Penn State College of Medicine
Term 2, Ends 11/30/2019

Thiago Bruder-Nascimento, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
Augusta University
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Carmen De Miguel, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Term 2, Ends 6/30/2021

Yumei Feng Earley, MD, PhD, FAHA
Associate Professor
University of Nevada-Reno
Term 2, Ends 11/30/2019

Styliani Goulopoulou, MS, FAHA
Assistant Professor
UNT Health Science Center
Term 2, Ends 6/30/2021

Joey Granger, PhD, FAHA
Professor
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Karen Griffin, MD, FAHA
Professor
Hines VA Hospital
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Sivarajan Kumarasamy, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Toledo
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Cam McCarthy, BS
Post-doctoral-to-Faculty Transition Fellow
University of Toledo
Term 2, Ends 6/30/2021

Pablo Nakagawa, PhD
Medical College of Wisconsin
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2020

Francisco Rios, PhD
Research Fellow
University of Glasgow
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2020

Monica Santisteban, PhD
Post-doctoral Associate
Weill Cornell Medical College
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Hannah Saternos, BS
University of Toledo
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Katherine Shreyder, MD, PhD
Physician
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Frank Spradley, BS
Assistant Professor
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Term 2, Ends 6/30/2021

Jing Wu, MD
Post-doctoral Research Scholar
University of Iowa
Term 2, Ends 6/30/2021

Denise Levy
Senior Manager
AHA National Center

John Ponzio, MBA
Director Science Marketing
AHA National Center

Lauren Rowell, BS
Council Manager
American Heart Association

Gregory Fink, PhD, FAHA
Professor
Michigan State University
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Maria Luisa Sequeira Lopez, MD, FAHA
Professor
University of Virginia
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Aaron Trask, PhD, FAHA
Assistant Professor
Nationwide Childrens Hospital
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Stephanie Watts, PhD, FAHA
Pharmacology Toxicology
Michigan State University
Term 1, Ends 6/30/2021

Purpose

To involve trainees / postdoctoral students / recently trained individuals in Council on Hypertension activities. To expand the diversity of the council. To identify early career council members from diverse backgrounds to participate in other Council committees.

Number of Members

The Committee shall be comprised of one or more advisors, including the Immediate Past Chair of the Council, and up to 9 members, one of whom will be Chair. The other advisor will be an active senior participant in the Council on Hypertension. The Chair will be selected by Council leadership.

Reports to

Council Chair and Leadership Committee

Method of Appointment

Members shall be chosen using an application process, facilitated by a small task force from the Leadership committee. The finalists of the previous year’s Young Investigator Award competition will be considered.

Term of Office

Members shall serve two-year terms beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Terms shall be staggered for continuity.

Frequency of Meetings

The Committee shall meet via teleconference 1-2 times per year. The time commitment will vary, but should not exceed an average of 1-3 hours per month. Special projects may require additional time.

Benefits of Participation

Become familiar with AHA Leadership structure and activities of the Council at an early career stage Develop a credential for career advancement Network with peers.

Staffed by

AHA Science & Medicine Advisor and AHA Council Manager

Chairperson's Responsibilities

• Attend Leadership Committee meetings and present Committee report at Spring and Fall Conference meetings
• Oversee committee
• Work with AHA staff to set meeting dates and times
• Lead discussions at meetings and monitor activities
• Review minutes of Committee meetings
• Work with Committee and AHA staff to develop an annual plan and budget and to oversee projects
• Assign responsibilities as needed
• Assist in selection of committee members

Committee Responsibilities

• Serve on other AHA Council on Hypertension Committees
• Liaison as needed to other AHA Councils' committees
• Pursue activities that benefit early career persons at various levels. Examples:
  • Develop a website within the main council page devoted to trainee issues
  • Mentoring trainees
  • Create a reading list of seminal papers of interest to trainees
  • Early career development support

Council on Hypertension Awards

The Council on Hypertension makes a number of awards available to early career researchers, including the Young Investigator Award, presented annually at AHA scientific session, as well as a number of travel awards to attend scientific sessions.

Council on Hypertension Awards, Lectures and Scholarships

We know you want the best career resources. Our Early Career Professional Membership and mentoring programs give you top-notch tools to maximize your growth as a young professional. Our goal is for all Early Career Members to play a crucial role in our prestigious organization. We give you opportunities to meet and dialogue about specialty and career issues with other Early Career Members and more senior professionals across the globe.

Useful Reading

• Science Individual Development Plan (IDP) Resource
• Lessons in Publishing and Funding Part 2: How to write grants and hopefully, get them funded! (PDF)

• American Heart Association Research Programs
  • Undergraduate Summer Fellowships
  • Pre-doctoral Fellowships
  • Post-doctoral Fellowships
  • Scientist Development Grant
  • Beginning Grant-in-Aid
  • Fellow to Faculty Transition

• NIH New Investigator Website
• Grants.gov
• Community of Science
• NIH/NHLBI Training and Career Development
• General Grant Writing Information from the NIH
• Secondary Dataset Analysis in Heart, Lung and Blood Diseases and Sleep Disorders (R21)