~Shared on behalf of Dr. David Anderson, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Jeannie Shoveller, Interim Vice-President, Research, Nova Scotia Health and Susan Mullin, President & CEO of QEII Foundation~
On behalf of the Faculty of Medicine, Nova Scotia Health, and the QEII Foundation we are pleased to announce that Dr. Ratika Parkash has been appointed the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research, effective July 1, 2024, for a five-year term.
Dr. Parkash, who is a professor in the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine at Dalhousie University and an attending physician at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, obtained her medical degree from Dalhousie in 1996 followed by an internal medicine/cardiology residency in Ottawa in 2002. She completed a fellowship in cardiac electrophysiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2004, the same year she obtained her master's of science in epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Parkash’s research is on atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), and she is involved in several clinical trial initiatives in atrial fibrillation focused on mechanisms of disease and management strategies. She researches the prevention of recurrent atrial fibrillation in heart failure patients or those with high symptom burdens to reduce cardiovascular events and improve quality of life. She also investigates Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs), focusing on device recalls, management, outcomes, complications, heart failure, virtual care strategies, and the prevention of sudden death.
Dr. Parkash is the past chair of the Canadian Heart Rhythm Society Device Committee and currently serves as the associate scientific director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network, focusing on digital health in cardiovascular disease in Canada. She was named Distinguished Research Professor at Dalhousie University in 2020 and is a member of the National Board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. She is also the Deputy Editor of Journal of American College of Cariology CEP and recently received the Women in Cardiovascular Medicine/Mentoring Award from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
Established with funding from the QEII Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research is responsible for developing and leading a program in cardiovascular outcomes research. As chair, Dr. Parkash will provide mentorship to researchers, foster collaborations locally and nationally, and create a vibrant training environment for students and fellows. She will also contribute to knowledge transfer, strengthen partnerships in the public and charitable sectors, and act as a research leader for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia.
In announcing Dr. Parkash’s appointment, we would like to thank cardiologist, professor, and world-renowned researcher Dr. Jafna Cox for his leadership as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research since 2009.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Parkash on this appointment.
Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Jeannie Shoveller
Interim Vice-President, Research, Nova Scotia Health
Susan Mullin
President & CEO of QEII Foundation
