News Highlights - July 7, 2026
Kudos
Kumbhani Chairs ACC Statement on Antiplatelet Therapy in ASCVD
Dharam Kumbhani, M.D., S.M., a Professor in the Division of Cardiology, chaired a new American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Statement on how to use antiplatelet therapy to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the statement reviews the latest research and offers practical guidance for clinicians. Antiplatelet medications, such as aspirin and related drugs, help prevent blood clots and remain a key part of care for people with ASCVD, especially those who have already experienced a heart attack or stroke.
A central focus of the statement is helping clinicians balance two competing risks: preventing dangerous clots while minimizing bleeding. The authors bring together findings from major clinical trials and align recommendations from leading cardiovascular organizations to support consistent decision-making across different care settings.
The statement outlines how to choose the right patients for therapy, how long treatment should continue, and how to adjust medications after events such as heart attacks or procedures like stenting. It also reflects a growing emphasis on tailoring treatment to the individual, including shortening or adjusting therapy in some patients to reduce bleeding risk.
Guidance is also provided for more complex situations, including patients with peripheral artery disease, prior stroke, valve disease, or those who need both antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications. In each case, the goal is to match treatment intensity to the patient’s level of risk.
In addition, the statement highlights the importance of staying on therapy as prescribed. The authors note that cost, side effects, and the challenges of managing multiple medications can affect adherence, and they recommend follow-up, patient education, and attention to social factors to help patients remain on treatment.
Overall, the statement provides a clear, practical roadmap for using antiplatelet therapy across the course of ASCVD care.
Eric Peterson, M.D., M.P.H., also a Professor in the Division of Cardiology, co-authored the statement with an international panel of experts. ■
Research Report
Tong Receives NIH Grant to Study Stretch-Sensing Channel in Heart Rhythm Disorders
Dan (Amanda) Tong, M.D., Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology, has received a $3 million National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 grant over the next five years to study how a stretch-sensing protein in the heart may contribute to atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm and often occurs alongside heart failure. The two conditions can worsen each other and are linked to poorer outcomes. One consistent finding in heart failure is that the upper chambers of the heart become enlarged and stretched, a change known to increase the risk of abnormal rhythms. However, the biological mechanisms behind this process are not well understood.
Dr. Tong’s research focuses on a protein called PIEZO1, which acts as a sensor that responds to physical stretch in heart cells. Early data from her lab show that PIEZO1 is active in atrial heart muscle cells and may trigger changes when the heart is under mechanical stress. These changes include enlargement of heart cells and disruptions in how calcium is handled inside the cells, both of which are known to promote atrial fibrillation.
“This project will examine how activation of PIEZO1 contributes to structural and functional changes in the atria that make abnormal rhythms more likely,” said Dr. Tong. “We will also study the signaling pathways involved, including those related to calcium and other molecular processes, to better understand how these changes develop.”
In addition, the study will test whether blocking PIEZO1 can reduce or prevent atrial fibrillation associated with heart failure. If successful, this approach could point to a new strategy for treating or preventing a common and challenging condition.
“By clarifying how the heart senses and responds to mechanical stress, we hope identify new targets for therapy and improve outcomes for patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation,” she added. ■
Joo Selected as THR Clinical Scholar
Joseph Joo, M.D., M.S., an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, has been selected as a Texas Health Resources Clinical Scholar, which includes $750,000 over the next three years to support his research program.
Dr. Joo serves as the Associate Director of Care Delivery Redesign for the Program on Policy Evaluation and Learning at UT Southwestern, where his work focuses on improving health care delivery through policy and practice change.
Originally from Austin, Texas, Dr. Joo holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and in exercise science from the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his medical degree at Texas A&M University College of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency with a distinction in care transformation at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a master’s degree in health services from the University of Washington.
He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2025.
Dr. Joo’s research centers on how health systems can be redesigned to deliver higher‑value, more equitable care. His published work shows a strong interest in applying behavioral economics, design thinking, and systems‑level analysis to improve clinical decision‑making, reduce low‑value care, and strengthen quality and safety across the continuum of care. He frequently studies how payment reform, communication strategies, and health policy shape patient access and how these factors influence outcomes in areas such as chronic disease management, telehealth use, and post‑discharge care. His scholarship also explores ways to “unlearn” ineffective health system practices, use peer comparisons to shift provider behavior, and apply human‑centered design to medical education and clinical workflows. Together, his publications and presentations reflect a cohesive focus on improving the structure, incentives, and delivery of care so health systems can better meet the needs of diverse patient populations. ■
Prokesch Co-Authors Study Showing Benefits of Rapid Bloodstream Infection Testing
A study co-authored by Bonnie C. Prokesch, M.D., an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, found that implementation of a rapid molecular diagnostic test helped clinicians identify bloodstream infections more quickly and optimize antibiotic treatment for hospitalized patients. The findings were published June 28 in Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.
For the study, published in Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, the researchers evaluated the impact of a rapid diagnostic assay in patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bloodstream infections. Compared with conventional testing methods, the assay significantly reduced the duration of anti-MRSA therapy, accelerated organism identification, and increased the proportion of patients who received targeted MSSA treatment within 24 hours of a positive Gram stain result.
The study included 158 patients and found that median anti-MRSA therapy decreased from 2.7 days to 1.67 days following implementation of the test. Time to MSSA identification was reduced from 1.56 days to 0.68 days, and the percentage of patients receiving targeted MSSA therapy within 24 hours increased from 4% to 37%.
“In this study, we showed that implementation of a rapid blood culture diagnostic assay was associated with reduced duration of anti-MRSA therapy and more rapid initiation of targeted MSSA therapy,” Dr. Prokesch said. “These results demonstrate antimicrobial stewardship benefits of rapid diagnostics in a real-world hospital setting.”
The authors concluded that integrating rapid diagnostic testing into an antimicrobial stewardship-supported workflow can improve antibiotic utilization and help optimize care for patients with bloodstream infections. ■
Study Compares Definitions of Safety-Net Practices
A study led by Joshua Liao, M.D., M.Sc., a Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, found that different definitions of safety-net ambulatory practices identify very different groups of healthcare providers, which could affect how funding and support programs are targeted.
Using 2022 Medicare data, researchers compared two common approaches to defining safety-net practices. One definition identified practices where more than 80% of patients were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The other identified practices that collectively delivered 80% of all care provided to dually eligible beneficiaries nationwide.
The analysis included more than 106,000 ambulatory practices and nearly 968,000 dually eligible beneficiaries. Researchers found that 7,338 practices met the first definition, while only 302 met the second. Just five practices met both definitions.
Practices identified under the first approach tended to be smaller and served a much higher proportion of dually eligible patients. Practices identified under the second approach were generally larger and cared for a greater total number of these patients. The study also found differences in patient demographics and practice characteristics between the two groups.
The findings, published in JAMA Health Forum, suggest that the way policymakers define safety-net practices can influence which providers receive support.
“If policies focus on financial vulnerability, they prioritize providers with a high share of underserved patients,” Dr. Liao said. “If policies focus on population health, they prioritize those caring for the largest number of such patients.” ■
Personnel Updates
Williams Promoted to Division Administrator for General Internal Medicine
Ashley Williams, M.B.A., has been appointed Division Operations Administrator for the Division of General Internal Medicine, after progressing from Senior Administrative Assistant II to Administrative Coordinator since 2022.
Ms. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in integrative studies from the University of North Texas and earned her master’s degree with honors as a member of the first cohort in the Master’s Leadership Program, a sponsored MBA program for UT Southwestern faculty and staff in collaboration with UT Dallas. ■
Staff Members Take on New Roles
We congratulate the following staff members who recently took on new positions within the Department:
- Crystal Cabrera – Administrative Associate, Rheumatic Diseases
- Ileana Cuevas – Lead Clinical Research Coordinator, Endocrinology
- Sneha Deodhar – Manager of Research Programs, Cardiology
- Tanya Jackson – Administrative Associate, General Internal Medicine
- Swathi Kumar – Clinical Research Assistant II, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
- Yijun Liu – Sr. Research Associate, Digestive & Liver Diseases
- Satara Russell – Sr. Administrative Associate, Nephrology
- Leslie Rutherford – Executive Assistant, Department Administration
- Steven Wyler – Research Scientist, Hypothalamic Research