The Texas Heart Institute Welcomes New Fellows on Match Day

The Texas Heart Institute is honored to welcome the future leaders of cardiovascular care to its esteemed training program, located in the heart of Houston, the home of the largest medical complex in the world.

The Texas Heart Institute Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowships at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center continue to attract the most exceptionally talented applicants nationwide. Once again, THI has successfully matched another cohort of rising stars.

The Texas Heart Institute fellowships have a long history of dedicated clinician-educators who take immense pride in training the fellows to provide the highest standard of care.

We consistently attract outstanding doctors who are widely respected for their clinical skills. It is with great honor that we welcome these incredibly talented professionals to The Texas Heart Institute family, as stated by Stephanie Coulter, MD, Fellowship Program Director.

During their fellowship, the fellows will have the opportunity to experience the latest advancements in cardiovascular care technologies and participate in some of the most exciting clinical research protocols today.

Their experience includes exposure to durable and short-term percutaneous devices, 3D echocardiography, advanced fluoro-less EP studies utilizing 3D mapping systems, and progressive TAVR protocols developed at THI.

From the first day of their fellowship, the fellows will engage in hands-on experience. They will benefit from excellent procedural volumes and clinical exposure to a wide range of pathologies from the diverse population of the Houston area.

The doctors will join the THI team on July 1, 2024.

Cardiovascular Disease 

Andrew Gustafson, MD
Residency: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University

Caleb Hood, MD
Residency: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Erica Kim, MD
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine
Pakinam Mekki, MD
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Austin Niu, MD
Residency: Washington University School of Medicine / Barnes Jewish Hospital
Alexander Sands, MD
Residency: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Advanced Heart Failure

Sana Riaz, MD
Fellowship: University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital
Residency:  SUNY Upstate Medical University