Carlos Mena, MD, Cardiovascular Medicine
Fellowship: Yale School of Medicine
Residency: Yale School of Medicine
MD: University of Antioquia Medial School
What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?
It means the world to me. It encapsulates the effort of all the people I love and who supported me throughout my entire career.
What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?
I called my family.
What are you proud of most thus far in your career?
I am most proud of my work teaching and mentoring trainees of all levels.
What is your favorite part of academia?
My favorite parts are the supportive environment and the ability to impact the way we care for our patients locally and globally.
Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.
I love basketball.
Edward Miller, MD, PhD, Cardiovascular Medicine
Fellowship: Yale School of Medicine
Residency: Yale School of Medicine
PhD: Yale School of Medicine
MD: Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine
BS: University of Notre Dame
What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?
Promotion to professor is recognition from your peers and colleagues that you are making significant contributions to your field of study and to patients. My journey has been assisted at every step by tremendous mentors, whose support and guidance have been the catalyst for any of my accomplishments, as well as amazing colleagues and trainees who inspire and energize me on a daily basis.
What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?
Let out a big sigh of relief. (The Professor promotion takes SOOOOO long!) Then I sent my wife a text.
What are you proud of most thus far in your career?
I am most proud of the wonderful teams of trainees, colleagues, and staff we have built here at Yale in cardiovascular medicine education, nuclear cardiology, and infiltrative cardiomyopathy. The research teams catalyze the clinical practice and vice versa and synergize with the educational program. We have been able to develop new programs that have moved our educational programs to greater heights, while findings from our research efforts have improved care for patients. In my career, I have seen the dawn of new eras of diagnostics and therapeutics in cardiac amyloidosis and sarcoidosis. To go from an era when I finished fellowship where these diseases were unable to be diagnosed routinely to fast forward to where there are now life-saving therapeutics is both inspiring and humbling.
What is your favorite part of academia?
I am inspired and invigorated by the incredibly smart, driven, collegial, and creative people that I come in contact with on a daily basis. Whether it is medical students, residents, fellows, junior or senior faculty, the talent and dedication to patient care and science of our Yale community is really world-class. What makes Yale unique is the openness to collaboration and collegiality of all members of the institution.
Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.
When I started fellowship, I never imagined I would end up with a career in nuclear cardiology, and neither did my program leaders: Frans Wackers, MD, PhD (one of my mentors and previous director of the Yale Nuclear Cardiology Lab) inscribed a book to me at graduation: “Dear Ed. Congratulations and best of luck in your (apparently) non-nuclear career!"
Yibing Qyang, PhD, Cardiovascular Medicine
PhD: University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
MS: University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
MS: Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
BA: Nanjing University
What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?
It means my hard work and scientific contribution have been well recognized. I know my responsibilities as a professor will reflect my value to the field and to Yale. With this promotion I will likely face both new challenges and more opportunities.
What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?
The first thing I did was to call my wife and share the great news; at the time I was actually at an airport on a business trip.
What are you proud of most thus far in your career?
I am proud of my growth in leadership and mindset to always bless others and be grateful in situations where there are challenges or conflicts.
What is your favorite part of academia?
My favorite part is having the flexibility to discover cutting edge technologies to help cure and treat cardiovascular patients. While pursuing this I am able to train young scientists and help them establish strong philosophical thinking, kind hearts, and the spirit of teamwork to explore and contribute to the field.
Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.
Besides being a loyal volleyball player, I am a fan of the Houston Rockets. I don’t have time to watch the games, so I just follow their scores. 😊
Jeffrey Testani, MD, MTR, Cardiovascular Medicine
Fellowship: University of Pennsylvania
Residency: University of Pennsylvania
MD: University of Florida
MS: University of Pennsylvania Medical School
What does your promotion/appointment mean to you?
I am deeply honored by the promotion to professor, which is, in many ways, an affirmation of the preceding decades of the success of our clinical and translational research program in heart failure.
What was the first thing you did when you found out you were promoted to/appointed as professor?
I told my wife! The multitude of nights and weekends that an academic research career demands is born not only by the faculty, but also by their family. Thus, this is very much a shared celebration.
What are you proud of most thus far in your career?
I am most proud that our lab has become known as a leader in the study of cardio-renal interactions and sodium avidity in heart failure. The fun part is much of this was accomplished by resurrecting physiologic techniques from the 1960s and incorporating them into modern-day studies.
What is your favorite part of academia?
Working with all the amazingly talented investigators and clinicians at Yale!
Tell us a fun fact about you—something people may find surprising.
I love thin-crust pizza, but I never seem to have the time to drive into New Haven to eat it. So, I built a 6X4 foot masonry pizza oven in my backyard.
The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.