The American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, has named its volunteer leadership for fiscal year 2026-27.
Beginning July 1, Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA , an interventional cardiologist at Duke Health, will serve as the Association’s new volunteer president. Svati H. Shah, M.D., M.H.S., FAHA , a physician-scientist who specializes in cardiometabolic genetics and translational research, will serve as volunteer president-elect.
These volunteer leaders are longtime champions of the Association’s mission and have contributed to its work through service at the local, regional, and national levels. Together, they bring deep experience in medicine, research, business strategy, and governance as the organization continues to advance cardiovascular and brain health for everyone, everywhere.
Patel is chief of cardiology, chief of clinical pharmacology and vice president of heart and vascular services for Duke Health; the Richard Stack Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and a senior investigator at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. A longtime American Heart Association volunteer on the national board of directors and numerous scientific councils, he previously served as chair of the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program.
In 2023, Patel was named the American Heart Association Physician of the Year. As volunteer president, he will serve as the Association’s lead volunteer scientific and medical officer, representing the organization’s volunteer leadership to continue efforts to advance its priorities in research, science and patient care.
Shah is the Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, associate dean for translational research and director of the Duke Center for Precision Health and the Precision Genomics Collaboratory in the Duke University School of Medicine. She also serves as vice-chief of research in the division of cardiology and director of the Adult Cardiovascular Genetics Clinic in Duke’s Division of Cardiology and is co-director of translational research in the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute.
An active American Heart Association volunteer leader and member of the national board of directors, she has served as chair of the Association’s Research Committee and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Council. As volunteer president-elect, she will support the Association’s volunteer leadership and help strengthen the organization’s continued focus on innovation, scientific discovery and improving health outcomes in communities across the country.
The Duke heart specialists are among a group of volunteer leaders who will begin new terms. Lee A. Shapiro, J.D., a Florida-based financial expert in health technology will continue as volunteer chairperson of the board for the second year of a two-year term.
Other volunteer officers include Linda Gooden, M.B.A. , volunteer chairperson-elect, who is a retired executive from the aerospace and defense industry, and Robert H. (Bob) Swan, M.B.A. , volunteer treasurer, who is a venture capital and operations executive, both of whom will continue serving two-year terms.
“The American Heart Association’s strength has always come from extraordinary volunteer leaders who bring vision, expertise and a deep commitment to our mission,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association.
“Together, these leaders will help us build on our momentum to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere,” Brown said.
The Association’s fiscal year runs July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Adapted from the American Heart Association.