- George Washington University, Washington, DC
Dr. Beaton, Andrea Zawacki, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Cardiology Attending had the training, expertise, leadership, and international partnerships necessary to serve as the co-Director of
the D43, Impact Mentored Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) Research Program. Her education, which
includes a global health fellowship, pediatric cardiology fellowship, and Master’s degree in Clinical and
Translational Sciences, as well as volunteer roles at the American Heart Association (AHA) (past-Chair of
the Rheumatic Fever Committee, member of the International Committee, and member of the newly-formed AHA RHD Strategy Team, and member of the Statistics and Epidemiology Council), World Heart Federation (Neglected Cardiovascular Diseases Working Group), and World Health Organization (Chair, Guideline Development Group) has given her a strong foundation in the scientific knowledge, sampling methodology, study design, and advocacy expertise needed to execute this project. As PI of multiple university-, and foundation-funded research grants (including two ongoing E.L. Thrasher Awards (PI) and AHA Technology and Innovation Strategically Focused Research Network Award (PI and Center Director)), in Uganda, she has multiple ongoing research platforms and populations that can support trainees that join this program.
Further, she has a strong track record of research infrastructure development and skills transfer in Uganda, helping to establish the Ugandan National RHD Registry (>2500 enrolled), and found the Rheumatic Heart Disease Research Collaborative in Uganda (RRCU), which includes strong components of fellow training and academic career development, with 8 US and 15 Ugandan fellows or early career physicians and nurses having completed their primary research projects within the program in the last 5 years. The current application builds logically on her prior work and that of the RRCU, and will serve to build the capacity for an enduring RHD research program in Uganda and to train the next generation of RHD research leader to address the world’s most neglected cardiovascular disease.
