Build, Discover, Lead: 15 Years as Division Chief
Fall 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of the appointment of Jeffrey Olgin, MD, as chief of the UCSF Division of Cardiology. Under his steady leadership, the division has experienced unprecedented clinical growth, made pioneering discoveries in many areas of heart health, and developed one of the nation’s premiere training programs for future cardiologists. He has also pursued his own vibrant research programs in atrial fibrillation and digital health.
Growing up, Jeffrey Olgin, MD, found medicine to be an ideal blend of using science to help others. He was especially drawn to cardiac electrophysiology – the study of the heart’s electrical system. “I’ve always found it fascinating,” he said. “It’s a very logical field – it’s physics. And from a clinical standpoint, you can actually cure people with very high rates.”
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CHIEF SPOTLIGHT
Faculty Spotlights
Scientists have known for decades that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity are risk factors for heart disease. But less than a decade ago, researchers discovered a significant new risk factor called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminant potential (CHIP). Caused by genetic mutations acquired after birth in stem cells that produce blood cells, CHIP becomes more common with age. These CHIP mutations increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 40 percent – even in patients who appear to be otherwise healthy.
Amy E. Lin, MD, PhD, who recently joined the UCSF Cardiology faculty, is an expert in CHIP, leading efforts to find out more about its causes and possible therapeutics.
As an interventional cardiologist, Ada Ip, MD, uses her engineering background to solve problems in the heart without surgery. She inserts a catheter – a thin, flexible tube – through a small cut in the groin or wrist, then threads it up into the heart. By passing tiny cameras, tools and devices through the catheter, she can diagnose different forms of heart disease, open blockages in the blood vessels that feed the heart, and perform other vital procedures.
“As someone trained as an engineer, I’m very focused on finding solutions,” said Dr. Ip. “If I see a problem that hasn’t been figured out, I’ll spend a lot of time poring through all the data and talking with the patient to diagnose the problem and find a solution."
