Vascular Medicine Training at Mass General Brigham

Overview

This fellowship offers comprehensive training in vascular medicine, combining rigorous clinical experience with structured academic development. Fellows engage in year-long scholarly activity, conducting vascular medicine–focused research with the goal of presenting at international scientific meetings and publishing in high-impact, peer‑reviewed journals. The curriculum is designed to prepare trainees for success on both the American Board of Vascular Medicine examination and the Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation (RPVI) examination, while cultivating the skills needed for long-term careers as academic clinician‑investigators.

The program emphasizes mastery of the pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, risk assessment, prevention and management of vascular diseases across inpatient and outpatient settings. Fellows develop expertise in initial workup, longitudinal care, and advanced diagnostic interpretation, ensuring readiness for independent practice and board eligibility. Ultimately, the fellowship aims to train the next generation of leaders in academic vascular medicine.

Requirements

Applications are invited from physicians who have completed an ACGME accredited fellowship in either pulmonary and critical care medicine or cardiovascular medicine. Graduates of internal medicine residency may be considered on an individual basis.

Curriculum

Clinical rotations will provide the trainee with fundamental knowledge about vascular magnetic resonance and computed tomographic imaging; and gain an appreciation for peripheral angiography and catheter-based endovascular interventions used to manage patients with a variety of vascular disorders.

Rotations include:

• Inpatient and outpatient consultation.
• Intensive training in the Vascular Diagnostic Ultrasound Laboratory to develop expertise in performing and interpreting noninvasive vascular tests such as duplex ultrasonography, segmental pressure measurements and pulse volume recordings.
• One to two months in the Cardiovascular Imaging Laboratory focused on noninvasive vascular CT/MR/PET imaging.
• One to two months in the Catheterization and Interventional Radiology Laboratories.
• One to two months on the Vascular Surgery service.
• Longitudinal ambulatory vascular medicine practice (year-long).
• Electives including chronic venous disease (varicose veins), lipedema and lymphedema, vasculitis, vascular malformations, and pulmonary vascular disease.
• Immersive away-rotations focus on connective tissue disease, fibromuscular dysplasia, vasculitis, and renovascular disease.

Time on the Vascular Surgery service is intended to develop an appreciation of the complex and extensive nature of vascular surgical procedures, and to participate in the postoperative care of patients undergoing vascular surgery.

Following clinical training, vascular medicine fellows will be eligible to take the American Board of Vascular Medicine’s examination in vascular medicine.

Research Experience

Throughout the year, the fellows conduct Vascular Medicine-focused scientific investigations with the goal of presenting the work at international Scientific Sessions and publishing the results in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals. Program faculty will assist fellows in project support for additional training focused on research and academic career development. Opportunities are available across the spectrum of basic science, translational science, and clinical research in all aspects of pulmonary heart disease.

The Vascular Medicine Section is engaged in diverse basic, translational, and clinical research, consensus guideline panels, and policy-making activity.

Dr. Samuel Z. Goldhaber is also the Director of the Thrombosis Research Group. Dr. Gregory Piazza, and Dr. Behnood Bikdeli are engaged in pivotal randomized and observational trials in pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, and prevention of acute coronary syndromes, including:

• Novel oral anticoagulant drugs to treat PE and DVT.
• Pharmacomechanical (catheter-directed) therapy to treat PE and DVT.
• Electronic decision support to improve vascular care.
• Improving quality of care in Anticoagulation Management Services.
• Observational studies of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, stroke risk, and thromboembolic disease.

Dr. Marie Gerhard-Herman chairs the ACC/AHA Diagnosis and Treatment of PAD guideline committee. She also serves on the ABIM Cardiovascular Disease Exam committee. She has begun a case-based program to teach value rich, efficient cardiovascular examination to the House Staff as the DOM Macy Scholar. Her current funded research projects include:

• The clinical manifestations of accelerated atherosclerosis in children with Hutchison Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) and the impact of therapy.
• Noninvasive testing to predict stroke in a cohort of children with HGPS.
• Factors affecting calcific aortic stenosis in accelerated atherosclerosis of HGPS.
• Angiotensin II and vascular function in patients with prior preeclampsia.
• Preeclampsia: A Marker for Future Cardiovascular Risk in Women.

Dr. Patrick O'Gara serves as the Steering Committee Co-Chair of the NHLBI's Cardiothoracic Surgery Network, which investigates critical questions at the interface between cardiology and cardiac surgery. Since December 2013, the network has published in the New England Journal of Medicine the results of three randomized controlled trials focused on ischemic mitral regurgitation and the surgical approach to atrial fibrillation at the time of mitral valve surgery.

Dr. O'Gara also serves on the Executive Committee of an NIH-funded analysis of oral hygiene in patients with infective endocarditis. Dr. O'Gara shares the special policy and global perspectives he acquired during his recent Presidency of the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Piotr Sobieszczyk and Dr. Scott Kinlay are conducting several clinical trials in patients undergoing vascular intervention, including:

• Vascular gamma brachytherapy to treat restenosis and preserve patency following infrainguinal stenting.
• Long-term outcomes of percutaneous stenting of the femoral arteries to assess their clinical success.
• The NIH-sponsored BEST-CLI Trial, comparing surgical and endovascular therapies of critical limb ischemia. Both the BWH and VA Boston are sites in this study.
• Long-term outcomes related to prolonged dual-antiplatelet therapy after coronary stenting.
• Endothelial and muscle function in Gulf War Veterans Illness.
• Participation in the ENDOMAX randomized controlled trial comparing bivalirudin versus heparin in patients receiving peripheral endovascular procedures

Dr. Rajat Gupta and Dr. Arvind Pandey lead very successful laboratories focused on basic and translational research.

Dr. Gaurav Parmar serves as Interim Medical Director of the VASCORE Vascular Imaging Core Laboratory. His academic focus centers on advanced vascular imaging and outcomes-based research in peripheral artery disease (PAD) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk modification. Through VASCORE, fellows will gain direct exposure to multi-center clinical trial imaging adjudication (CTA, MRA, IVUS, angiography, and physiologic vascular testing), imaging protocol development, endpoint validation, and industry-sponsored trial design. The Core Lab provides a robust platform for fellows to participate in high-impact collaborative research spanning device trials, pharmacologic interventions, and mechanistic vascular imaging studies.

Dr. Parmar’s research portfolio emphasizes real-world effectiveness, implementation science, and cardiometabolic risk reduction strategies in PAD and ASCVD. He is actively developing investigative programs exploring the vascular–metabolic interface in lymphedema and lipedema, including the emerging role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in microvascular function, adipose remodeling, and inflammatory modulation. He is also a national leader in vascular point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education through the Society for Vascular Medicine (SVM), where he develops curricula and leads hands-on workshops focused on bedside vascular diagnostics and advanced imaging integration into clinical practice. Fellows working with Dr. Parmar receive structured mentorship in registry development, pragmatic clinical trials, health-services research, translational imaging science, and national educational initiatives, with clear pathways toward abstract presentation, manuscript development, and academic career advancement.

Dr. Kenneth Rosenfield is a nationally recognized leader in interventional vascular medicine and endovascular therapies for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and complex aortic disease. His work spans pivotal device trials, first-in-human technologies, and multicenter investigations evaluating novel endovascular strategies for limb preservation and cardiovascular risk reduction. As a senior leader in national guideline development and clinical trial steering committees, Dr. Rosenfield brings deep expertise in trial design, regulatory science, and translational device innovation. Fellows working with Dr. Rosenfield gain exposure to advanced endovascular therapeutics, industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials, and the strategic development of technologies that shape contemporary vascular practice.

How to Apply

Applications are invited from physicians who have completed an ACGME accredited fellowship in either pulmonary and critical care medicine or cardiovascular medicine. We require the following documents to be submitted for a complete application to be reviewed:

• Vascular Medicine Fellowship Application.
• Curriculum vitae (CV).
• Personal statement.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Interviews are granted on a rolling basis by receipt date.

Interested fellows should submit the application to magayle@bwh.harvard.edu.

Faculty Team

Gregory Piazza, MD, MS
Fellowship Program Director