NEW ORLEANS, La – Ochsner Health cardiologist Salima Qamruddin, MD, MPH, FASE, FACC has been named a 2024 “Women in STEM” honoree by the American Heart Association and Entergy. This annual award gives recognition to six local female leaders who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment and made an impact in the field of science, technology, engineering and math across New Orleans.
As an honoree, Dr. Qamruddin was formally recognized at the 2024 “Go Red for Women” luncheon on Friday, March 1. The event, held at the Hilton Riverside, celebrated the accomplishments of all six “Women in STEM” honorees and encouraged continued advancements in the field.
“I am deeply grateful and humbled to be honored among women striving for excellence in STEM in the City of New Orleans. Women continue to break barriers every day. In the medical field, women are leading and innovating with relentless dedication and knowledge, creating a more inclusive future for aspiring young women to pursue a medical career. I am proud to be a woman and a physician during this time,” said Dr. Qamruddin.
Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Echocardiography, Dr. Qamruddin exemplifies a commitment to excellence in cardiovascular medicine. Her research highlights echocardiography (ultrasound imaging of the heart). She has studied calcific mitral valve stenosis, a disease affecting older women that is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Her additional research interests include using advanced ultrasound imaging (myocardial strain and three-dimensional ultrasound imaging) to improve cardiac care of cancer, valvular heart disease, and heart failure patients while improving the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-based stress testing for patients. In the field of women’s heart health, she is studying the cardiovascular effects of preeclampsia or high blood pressure in pregnancy, aiming to prevent maternal mortality from this disease.
Dr. Qamruddin is the director of echocardiography quality and research, the director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Wellness Clinic at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, and a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland.
“This recognition is a testament to Dr. Qamruddin’s dedication to cardiology research, exceptional leadership, and unwavering commitment to compassionate patient care. She is inspiring and worthy of this recognition,” said Robert Hart, MD, chief physician executive, Ochsner Health and president, Ochsner Clinic.
Dr. Qamruddin is an active member of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and currently serves as a rising star on the industry and research committee at ASE.
For more information about the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, visit www.ochsner.org.
Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 38,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.