A tribute to Albert L. Waldo, MD
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Key takeaways:
- Albert L. Waldo, MD, a pioneer in electrophysiology, died in August.
- Waldo was one of the founders of the Heart Rhythm Society and uncovered mechanisms of arrhythmias.
Healio | Cardiology Today Editorial Board Member Albert L. Waldo, MD, a pioneer in electrophysiology, died in August, University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute announced.
Waldo, who was the Walter H. Pritchard Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University until his retirement in 2022, died Aug. 17 after a brief illness at age 85 years, according to a press release from University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.
Waldo was the founding head of the section of cardiac electrophysiology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and one of the founders and past president of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology (NASPE), now known as the Heart Rhythm Society.
He specialized in translational research uncovering the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and had pivotal roles in numerous electrophysiology clinical trials, according to the release.
“I met Dr. Waldo in 1988 during my training at University Hospitals and then had the great honor of working with him for 29 years until his retirement in 2022. A wonderful colleague, mentor and friend,” Judith Mackall, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Device Clinic at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, told Healio. “He was always available to not only consult on patient management or discuss arrhythmia mechanisms but to offer guidance, counsel or a compassionate shoulder.”
“I had the good fortune to be in the field of cardiac electrophysiology at its incipience as a clinical subspecialty,” Waldo told Healio in 2008. “It was a great opportunity and there was so much to do. The one thing that most people would associate my name with is probably entrainment, which has been useful for localizing components of the reentry circuit for ablation.”
Mackall told Healio that Waldo “made seminal scientific observations that advanced the field of cardiac electrophysiology. One observation: He termed ‘entrainment,’ and this insight into the reentry mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias resulted in better treatments for patients. He also pioneered multisite cardiac mapping, which enhanced understanding of cardiac conduction.”
According to the release, Waldo wrote more than 600 publications, including one selected by the American College of Cardiology as one of 14 historical articles, as part of its 50th anniversary commemoration. He also received the Distinguished Scientist Award from NASPE, and in 2009 received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the ACC.
“Dr. Waldo was an extraordinary mentor and colleague who will be remembered not only for his scientific contributions, but his friendship,” Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, president of University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation, said in the release. “His office door was always open, and he found time for his colleagues and trainees, offering encouragement, insight and humor.”
To honor his legacy, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has established the Albert L Waldo, MD, (hon) PhD Endowed Lectureship in Cardiac Electrophysiology, according to the release.
“He was a passionate educator, who mentored more than 100 fellows, nurses and translational scientists during his tenure,” Mackall told Healio.
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