Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, boasts a long record of clinical, research accomplishments in vascular medicine

Bhatt has spent his career studying interventional cardiology, as well as cerebral and vascular intervention.

When not wrestling with his sons, Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, maintains a busy professional career as an in-demand clinician, researcher, lecturer and educator.

Bhatt, currently an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is also chief of cardiology of the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the integrated interventional CV program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the VA Boston Healthcare System. After receiving his medical degree from Cornell University and completing his internship and residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Bhatt completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and cerebral and peripheral vascular intervention at the Cleveland Clinic. He remained at the Cleveland Clinic for several years as an interventional cardiologist and an associate professor of medicine.

Deepak L. Bhatt, MD Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Chief of Cardiology at VA Boston Healthcare System. Director of the Integrated Interventional CV program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the VA Boston Healthcare System. Member, Vascular Medicine/Intervention section of Cardiology Today’s Editorial Board.

Bhatt has also authored or co-authored more than 300 articles. He is the editor of Essential Concepts in CV Intervention and Guide to Peripheral and Cerebrovascular Intervention, as well as co-editor of the Handbook of Acute Coronary Syndromes. He was the international principal investigator for the CHARISMA and CRESCENDO trials and co-principal investigator of the CHAMPION and COGENT trials. Bhatt also serves as the co-chair of the REACH registry and is a senior investigator in the TIMI Study Group. He is the current chair of the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Science Subcommittee. He is also the associate editor for clinical trials for the American College of Cardiology’s Cardiosource. Bhatt has been listed in Best Doctors in America from 2005 to 2009.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not practicing medicine?

I enjoy spending time with my family. I have four sons, so when I come home from work, there is no lying down on the couch for me. They want action. It keeps me young.

If you hadn’t gone into cardiology or medicine, what would you have done?

I thought of medicine on and off ever since I was 9 years old and was hospitalized for a ruptured appendix. Actually, the intern who evaluated me thought it was a stomach virus and she discharged me home, but my parents brought me back once I started hallucinating. Nevertheless, paradoxically, it was a positive experience. I loved being in the hospital. The surgeon who came in and operated on me traveled through a snowstorm to get to me. I was really impressed with the doctors and nurses. I thought about being a biomedical engineer or a cancer researcher. Those were really smart folks I worked with, but they were more interested in science for science’s sake than I was. There was also an astronaut phase when I was much younger.

What would you consider one of your biggest successes in your specialty?

I am proud to have been part of the training of really outstanding fellows, many of whom have gone on to leadership positions in academia, as well as in community practice. I am fortunate, first at Cleveland Clinic, and now at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to have worked with superb fellows in the cath lab, the clinic and on research and writing projects. I helped popularize the concept of polyvascular disease, which is the idea that plaque in different arterial beds is a potent risk factor.

What is the last book you read / art collection you saw / CD you bought? Why, and what did you think of it?

An honest answer might not be a good idea for this one; I read a lot of comic books because my sons love comic books. Recently, when I was in Barcelona for the European Society of Cardiology meeting, I enjoyed the architecture of Gaudi. I have always liked the works of Salvador Dali, and there is a nice museum right outside Barcelona.

Who do you most admire, and what would you ask that person if you had five minutes with him/her?

Tiger Woods. I am kidding, although I think in our culture we do build up people we do not really know instead of admiring the people around us. I would have to say I most admire my parents.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

There is always room at the top, meaning that you should always pursue your passion and not worry about whether a field is too overcrowded or may not be in demand in the future. As they say, the future is hard to predict. Instead, better to just focus on being your best and doing your best in whatever field you enjoy.

Deepak L. Bhatt and his family. From left to right: Vinayak, Shanthala, Ram, Dr. Bhatt, Arjun, Raj. Photo courtesy of: Deepak L. Bhatt, MD

Who do you consider a mentor?

I am lucky here in Boston. Eugene Braunwald, MD, is terrific. Joe Loscalzo, MD and Peter Libby, MD, are wonderful. There is no shortage of outstanding mentors here. Ken Baughman, MD, was also great. I actually got to know him well. I had him over to give grand rounds at the Boston VA just a week and a half before his death. The day he came he spent two hours giving me advice – professional as well as personal – and that really meant a lot to me.

What kind of diet and exercise regimen do you have?

I am a vegetarian, though not always a healthy vegetarian. I really like chocolate and nuts. Pizza and ice cream are also weaknesses. Actually, I believe that I may have discovered the most unhealthy vegetarian diet one can have. We have a gym in the basement that I use irregularly. Wrestling with the boys also keeps me in top shape (not really).

What do you think will have the biggest influence on cardiology in the next 10 years?

Health care reform. Actually, if it is not done correctly, I am afraid it will put a halt to the incredible trajectory that cardiology has been on these past several years.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I really love Boston, but that may not count now that I live here again. I enjoy visiting Cleveland. You probably do not hear that too often, but it really is a great town. San Francisco is terrific. Vienna is a favorite in Europe – I have good memories from several European Society of Cardiology meetings there.

What is your favorite restaurant?

Basically, I am a cheap date. As I mentioned, I love pizza. Italian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai are great, too; as long as it is vegetarian, I will try it. Udupi Palace outside of Cleveland has authentic Indian food at a good price – the buffet is fantastic. With four growing boys, you have to keep an eye out for a good buffet. I also enjoy going to Rani in Boston with my wife. – by Eric Raible