Fellow Spotlight: Rohan Wagle, MD

Dr. Rohan Wagle (pronounced “ROW-han WOGG-lay”) was born and raised in the Houston area. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Rice University and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, both in Houston. He then completed his residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and spent another year researching the molecular biology of a rare heart disease called Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia under Dr. Daniel Judge.

His interest in the heart began in high school, when he was matched with a career development mentor, Dr. John Passmore, who was a cardiologist with the University of Texas-Houston. For his fellowship, he wanted a program that was strong in both research and clinical training. “Many programs are good in one or the other, but UCSF is good at both,” said Dr. Wagle.

Already, he has experienced the satisfaction of making a difference in patients’ lives. “I’ve had patients who have come into the ER with heart attacks, feeling like their lives are going to end, and being able to help them so they can walk out of the hospital on their own two feet is very gratifying,” said Dr. Wagle. “It’s rewarding to be part of a career where the diseases are fatal if untreated, but if you get to it in time, there’s so much we can do.” He is interested in specializing in heart failure or inherited heart diseases.

To relax, Dr. Wagle plays basketball and the violin, and tries out new restaurants with his wife, Rita Wagle, a nurse.