WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Leanne Groban, M.D., an anesthesiologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, is one of 11 physician/scholars nationwide to be named a Paul B. Beeson Career Development Award in Aging Research Scholar.
The highly competitive award is sponsored by the American Foundation for Aging Research, the Atlantic Philanthropies, The John A. Hartford Foundation and the National Institute on Aging. Each year, up to 12 awards are given to physicians who are “conducting groundbreaking, clinically-relevant studies” in areas related to aging. The ultimate goal of the program is to enhance the health and quality of life of older adults.
The 11 recipients will each receive $600,000 to $800,000 over three to five years to conduct research studies.
“We are extremely pleased to recognize the cutting-edge research Dr. Groban is conducting on heart disease, and are hopeful that her research will lead to a better understanding of cardiovascular disease and hopefully a more effective treatment and better outcomes for older patients with the disease,” said Beeson program committee chairwoman and Yale University School of Medicine Professor Mary Tinetti, M.D.
Groban, an associate professor of cardiac anesthesia at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is studying diastolic heart failure, a condition in which the heart stiffens and cannot accept blood normally. She hopes to learn more about what causes the condition in hopes of finding more effective treatments.
Groban earned her medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin and completed her residency and fellowship at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. She is board certified in anesthesiology and echocardiography.
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Media Contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu; Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu; at 336-716-4587
About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Wake Forest Baptist is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.