Basics
- Hometown: Moscow, Russia
- Where did you attend university/college? California Institute of Technology
- Where did you attend medical and graduate school? Duke University
- Where did you attend residency? Mayo Clinic
Fellow Perspective
Tell us briefly about your background before cardiology fellowship?
I was born and raised just outside of Moscow, Russia, and immigrated into the US in 1999. At that time, I had been home-schooled by my parents, and after transitioning into the US school system, I eventually skipped 3rd and 7th grades. While growing up, I lived in 8 different states, ultimately landing in California where I matriculated at Caltech at the age of 16. Following undergrad, I transitioned to the east coast to join the Duke MSTP for my medical training, and quickly developed a passion for cardiology after witnessing beating cardiomyocytes in the lab. I subsequently pursued a PhD in cardiac tissue engineering, and continued regenerative medicine research while an internal medicine resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Ultimately, the beauty of the southeast drew me back to Duke for my cardiology training, where I became fascinated with the clinical correlates of electrophysiology concepts I had studied during my PhD.
What are your career plans in cardiology?
Last summer, I finished a year of research at the DCRI, where I created a database of conduction system pacemakers implanted at Duke. Through this work, I analyzed electrical parameters of pacing various aspects of the conduction system, identifying factors that affect implant success, and assessing clinical outcomes and electromechanical function following device implantation. I'm currently in the middle of my clinical cardiac electrophysiology fellowship, after which I plan to pursue an academic career in clinical electrophysiology with continuation of my clinical and translational interests in conduction system pacing.
Why did you choose Duke for your cardiology fellowship training?
Duke is a truly special place. The clinical training we receive is rich in both breadth and depth—we see a great variety of both simple and complex patients across the spectrum of various diseases. We are privileged to get to round and learn from faculty that wrote many of the current guidelines for devices and heart failure management, and the emphasis on evidence-based learning is, in my opinion, unprecedented. Having the DCRI as a home for research is something that most programs are not able to offer, and with that comes the exposure to a different side of clinical questions that may not otherwise be seen on the wards.
What do you enjoy doing in the Triangle area outside of work?
I have a wife and two children (ages 8/11), so family time is priority for me. I enjoy building Legos with my kids (or by myself!), woodworking from my garage shop, and traveling and exercising with my wife. The Triangle is a unique location situated halfway between the mountains and the beach (~2.5hrs to each), so this opens the door to incredible outdoor activities. There are also abundant lakes for kayaking and trails for hiking in the area that make for easy weekend outings.