MHIF Hosted 2021 Intern Poster Session and Reception - Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation

August 18, 2021

On Thursday, August 12, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® (MHIF) hosted the 2021 intern poster session and reception. This event marks the conclusion of our summer clinical research internship, a program offering a robust research experience in the field of cardiology to undergraduate students.

MHIF is proud to have once again gathered twelve talented students from across the nation for this hands-on learning opportunity. Over the course of 12-weeks, interns were paired with a Minneapolis Heart Institute® (MHI) physician mentor and each student pursued a unique cardiovascular research project.

The poster session is the final event in the program, allowing the interns to showcase their research project to family, friends and MHIF staff. Several of the research topics were physician-initiated research projects – questions and topics inspired and designed by physicians from their interactions in caring for patients. The research topics ranged from cardiac sarcoidosis to pacemakers to chemotherapy-induced heart disease. Below is the full list of projects.

Intern Research Projects

Ananya Shah, Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Myocardial Infarction with No Obstructive Coronary Arteries (MINOCA) Presenting with ST-Segment Elevation;

MHI Clinical Experience with a Leadless Intracardiac Pacemaker Implantation

Vennela Avula, Incident, Treatment, and Outcomes of Coronary Artery Perforation during Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights from the PROGRESS‐ COMPLICATIONS Registry

Aaron Bae, Pulmonary Hypertension in the Setting of Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistulas: Natural History and Outcomes;

Pulmonary Hypertension in Rural Minnesota

Thomas Basala, Neochordal Replacement versus Leaflet Resection for Surgical Mitral Valve Repair

Marissa Dulas, The Cardiovascular Complications Associated with COVID Mortality in the Metro Allina Health System

Alex Gutierrez, Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Bifurcation Vs Non-Bifurcation in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Anais Marenco, Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 within Allina Health – American Heart Association COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease Registry

Riya Pillai, Clinical Presentation and Classification of Patients Undergoing Evaluation for Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Anish Sethi, Multi-LEAD ECGs for Measuring Electrical Synchrony in Patients with Heart Failure and Implantable Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices

Joseph Verry, Heart Failure Medications are Associated with Long-Term Improvement in LV Systolic Function in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiomyopathy

Julia Wang, Renal Artery Vasculopathy. Single Center Case Study

Kathryn Xu, Harnessing Big Data to Track Quality for Electrophysiology Procedures;

Magnetic Field Interference Between Electronic Gadgets and Cardiac Rhythm Devices

This research isn’t confined to the walls of MHIF—it’s common for interns to earn a spot as author of an article published in a national scientific journal or in an abstract or poster submitted to leading medical conferences.

Ultimately, the goal of MHIF’s internship program is not only to develop, but also empower the next generation of health professionals. When asked about the highlight of this experience, Alex Gutierrez shared, “Getting to write case reports, an abstract, and a paper prepared me for not only scientific writing but gave me the confidence to take on new projects, no matter how intimidating.”

While the internship is challenging, it is rewarding. Reflecting on the summer, lead intern Ananya Shah said, “This internship provided a perfect balance of clinical research and shadowing. Over the past couple years, it has certainly worked to solidify my commitment to wanting to pursue a career in medicine.”

Learn more about MHIF’s clinical research internship program here.