THE TEAM
Alexander Iribarne, MD, MS - Research Scientist
Dr. Iribarne is a Resident-in-General Surgery at Columbia University, New York, NY. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale University School of Medicine. As a post-doctoral research fellow, he completed an NIH Training Grant (5T32HL007854-13) and earned a master's in science from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Iribarne has also served as a member of the Steering Committee for the NHLBI's Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical Trials Network (CTSN). He was a finalist for the Paul C. Samson Resident Research Award. Dr. Iribarne has coauthored more than 15 publications, including 10 first-author publications.
Kimberly N. Hong, MHSA - Research Scientist
Kim Hong earned an MHSA from the University of Michigan and is completing her medical doctorate at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her research focuses on measuring clinical outcomes in cardiovascular disease; she has a special interest in costing and cost-effectiveness. She has served as a member of the Data Coordinating Center for a number of multi-center clinical trials including, the Ventra-Assist LVAD Trial, the NHLBI-sponsored SCCOR (RFA-HL-03-009) program “The Biology of Human Long-Term Mechanical Circulatory Support,” and the NHLBI's Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinical Trials Network (CTSN). Ms. Hong has coauthored more than 25 publications, including 4 first-author publications and 40 abstracts presented at national meeting.
Aurelie Merlo, University of Chicago '12 - Research Assistant
Aurelie Merlo graduated from the University of Chicago in 2012 and is now a medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Her research involves conducting large dataset analysis to assess outcomes in cardiac surgery. She is interested in understanding how clinical and economic information, contained in patient registries and claims databases, can be used to provide evidence to improve current practices and policies in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Current research projects include
Her research involves conducting large dataset analysis to assess outcomes in cardiac surgery. She is interested in understanding how clinical and economic information, contained in patient registries and claims databases, can be used to provide evidence to improve current practices and policies in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Current research projects include
- Volume-outcomes relationships for emergent aortic repairs
- Resource utilization after mitral valve surgery
- Resource utilization after thoracic endovascular aortic repair
- Severe renal insufficiency as a contraindication to heart transplantation
