Honoring Two Careers of Service

Kirsten Tolstrup, a noninvasive cardiologist with expertise in echocardiography and valvular and structural heart disease, is retiring after 10 years at UCSF. Born in Denmark, she earned her medical degree from the University of Copenhagen, completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Southern California, and her cardiology fellowship at the University of New Mexico. Before joining UCSF in 2016, Dr. Tolstrup spent 11 years at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she directed the Cardiac Non-Invasive Stress Laboratory and became an associate professor of medicine at UCLA School of Medicine. She later returned to the University of New Mexico to direct the echocardiography laboratory.  At UCSF, Dr. Tolstrup cared for patients at both the downtown clinic and Parnassus campus, where she focused on valvular heart disease and procedural imaging. She established a multidisciplinary heart valve clinic and, in 2020, was appointed Associate Chief of Ambulatory Cardiology following a national search. Her clinical and research interests have centered on echocardiography, valvular heart disease, and advancing multidisciplinary cardiovascular care.

James Mailhot, noninvasive cardiologist, is retiring after 10 years at UCSF.  After graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Mailhot trained in Internal Medicine at Boston City Hospital. He completed his cardiology fellowship at San Francisco’s Mt. Zion Hospital and Stanford University Medical Center. He held many Cardiology positions including Director of Cardiac Care Unit and Chief of Staff of UCSF/Mt. Zion. He has been an attending cardiologist at California Pacific Medical Center since 1985 and continues his role as a mentor for residents and fellows. He was also the Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at California Pacific Medical Center until 2024. In 2016 Dr. Mailhot relocated his Golden Gate Cardiology practice to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) at Daniel Burnham Court. As a noninvasive cardiologist, Dr. Mailhot has a wealth of experience treating an array of cardiac conditions.