Sajan Rao

Cardiologist in Naples, Florida via Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center and UCSD; Steelers fan for life

[NASA @NASA]

As communities gather this weekend, @AstroVicGlover reflects on the shared spaceship we all call home: Earth.

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@RCubedduMD @NCHRooneyHeart @JACCJournals @ACCinTouch @DeeDeeWangMD @PU84 @DrBrianSolomon @md_viviana @Dhiran_Verghese Amazing! Incredible life-saving display of expertise, innovation and collaboration!

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce. https://t.co/nUekLpTbSq

[Atul Gawande @Atul_Gawande]

9 CDC Directors going back to 1977 speak out. What RFK Jr has done to our nation’s public health system "should alarm every American."

It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." https://t.co/hYWnhYjCDY

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@Dhiran_Verghese @ATHjournal @BudoffMd @HarborUCLA @MGHHeartHealth @HarvardHealth @NCHRooneyHeart @NCHFlorida @ShonaVelamakan1 Congratulations to you and your colleagues on this important work, Dhiran!
Earlier intervention with lifestyle modifications and aggressive risk factor control may be much more important in this demographic.

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@BethFratesMD Thank you for coming and sharing your wisdom and passion for healthy living at our Wellness Retreat!

[Kevin Hall @KevinH_PhD]

After 21 years at my dream job, I’m very sad to announce my early retirement from the National Institutes of Health. My life’s work has been to scientifically study how our food environment affects what we eat, and how what we eat affects our physiology. Lately, I’ve focused on unravelling the reasons why diets high in ultra-processed food are linked to epidemic proportions of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Our research leads the world on this topic.

Given recent bipartisan goals to prevent diet-related chronic diseases, and new agency leadership professing to prioritize scientific investigation of ultra-processed foods, I had hoped to expand our research program with ambitious plans to more rapidly and efficiently determine how our food is likely making Americans chronically sick.

Unfortunately, recent events have made me question whether NIH continues to be a place where I can freely conduct unbiased science. Specifically, I experienced censorship in the reporting of our research because of agency concerns that it did not appear to fully support preconceived narratives of my agency’s leadership about ultra-processed food addiction.

I was hoping this was an aberration. So, weeks ago I wrote to my agency’s leadership expressing my concerns and requested time to discuss these issues, but I never received a response. Without any reassurance there wouldn’t be continued censorship or meddling in our research, I felt compelled to accept early retirement to preserve health insurance for my family. (Resigning later in protest of any future meddling or censorship would result in losing that benefit.) Due to very tight deadlines to make this decision, I don’t yet have plans for my future career.

The NIH has been a wonderful place because it allows scientists to take risks, form unique collaborations, and do studies difficult to conduct elsewhere. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m fortunate to have had such wonderful colleagues and scientific collaborators. I hope to someday return to government service and lead a research program that will continue to provide gold-standard science to make Americans healthy.

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@Dhiran_Verghese @BudoffMd @HarborUCLA @the_lundquist @NCHRooneyHeart @MGHHeartHealth @HarvardHealth @harvardmed @ACCMass @FloridaACC @JACCJournals @SCAI @RCubedduMD @DineshSharmaEP @GCudemusMD @PU84 @CaliforniaACC Congratulations!

[Sarah Longwell @SarahLongwell25]

Wanna hear how Republicans talked about tariffs before Trump castrated all of them?

[WIRED @WIRED]

NEW: The doctor behind breakthrough Parkinson’s research was among the scientists purged from the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency. https://t.co/hUaJuoYwce

[Atul Gawande @Atul_Gawande]

What happens when you do surgery with a chainsaw:

"Hundreds of Thousands Will Die." https://t.co/U9Ym5Pwh8u

[Benjy Renton @bhrenton]

A dangerous move to freeze NIH hiring, grant review meetings and travel — an action which will only reduce America's competitiveness and hamper research innovation even with a short delay period.
https://t.co/gsOkYsq7yR

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@JoChikweMD Great case and images.
Amazing the type of cases done in one day at your institution!

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@drmishbloom @HFSA @JCardFail @AnaBaracCardio Congratulations to you both! Look forward to reading and having this reference for all of my future cardio-oncology patients. Thank you for your hard work!

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@Dhiran_Verghese @FloridaACC @NCHRooneyHeart @RCubedduMD @md_viviana @malbag1 @Triplet_Trav @DineshSharmaEP Huge congratulations, Dhiran! Sorry we missed this one and could not celebrate with you!

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@RCubedduMD @JACCJournals @ACCinTouch @AnotherDrAxline @PU84 @NCHRooneyHeart Congratulations! Look forward to reading and learning!

[Sayed Tabatabai, M.D. @TheRealDoctorT]

Happy Doctor’s Day to all my friends and colleagues out there.

Thank you for sailing the shoreless ocean with me.

[Sajan Rao @raosdc]

@DrRobRoswell @ShashankSinhaMD @JasonKatzMD @carlosalviar @SarasVallabhMD @criticalecho 2 dreaded complications in one case! Great job, @DrRobRoswell!

[NCH Rooney Heart Institute @NCHRooneyHeart]

Congratulations to @ShonaVelamakan1 for being named the NCH 2024 Physician of the Year.

The nominees & winner are chosen by their peers based on the highest standard of excellence in clinical care, relationships with patients & colleagues, & commitment to quality health care.