Karthik Murugiah, MBBS, MHS

Karthik Murugiah, MBBS (a medical degree awarded in several countries outside of the U.S.), is an interventional cardiologist and specializes in treating coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and other conditions.

Dr. Murugiah says he was drawn to cardiology because of its promise and potential. “Cardiology is an extremely fast-paced specialty with a large and rigorous evidence base and a wide gamut of treatments,” he says. “This makes being a cardiologist especially gratifying. I love talking to patients, hearing their stories, helping them understand their illness and make decisions about their health. We can deliver cutting-edge treatments for cardiac conditions to every patient in line with the latest medical evidence.”

The best part of his job, he says, is helping patients recover from life-threatening cardiac conditions and helping them manage chronic cardiac problems, so that they can enjoy their lives to the fullest extent possible.

Recognizing that patients often feel anxious about medical procedures, Dr. Murugiah says he makes sure they have a clear understanding of the treatment and what to expect during and after it. “I emphasize to patients that we will always have their best interest in mind with every decision we take or treatments we recommend,” he says. “I also tell patients undergoing procedures to lean on the experience of my catheterization lab team and I.”

An active researcher, Dr. Murugiah focuses on harnessing electronic health records and other large datasets to develop prediction models and evaluate changes in health and health care delivery to answer important questions in cardiology care in the U.S. and globally.