2026 One Rush Heart Symposium

22nd Annual Rush Heart Symposium
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Northern Illinois University Conference Center
1120 E. Diehl Rd., Naperville


Course Directors: Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Steve Attanasio, DO
Moderators: Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Gaurav Shah, DO, FACC, FSCAI, Steve Attanasio, DO 
Speakers: Daniel Lugar, MD, Sean Swearingen MD, Gaurav Dhar, MD, Patroklos Pappas, MD, Carlos Bechara, DO, Janki Thakker, MD, Ahmet Oktay, MD, Matt Collins, MD, Salaheldin Abusin, MD, and Pete Batra, MD, FACS, FARS

The Annual Rush Copley Heart Symposium promises to provide an in-depth overview of diagnosis and treatment related to all aspects of cardiovascular disease. Experts in the field will highlight the pathophysiology of various cardiovascular disease processes and offer the most up to date, innovative and evidence based, guideline directed therapies for their patients. This will be a one day, live, in-person conference with speakers who are experts in their field from all Rush campuses.

Agenda

TimeSchedule
7:45 - 8:30 am Registration/Breakfast/Exhibits 
8:30 - 8:45 amOpening Remarks and Overview
Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center
Steve Attanasio, DO, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Associate Professor, Rush University Medical Center
8:45 - 9 amONE Rush 
Speaker: Pete S. Batra, MD, FACS, FARS, Dean, Rush Medical College, Senior Vice President, Rush University System for Health, Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Rush University Medical Center

9 – 10:30 am  Session 1 – Preventive Cardiology

Moderator: Gaurav Shah, DO, FACC, FSCAI, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Medical Director, Cardiology, Rush Copley Medical Center

9 - 9:25 amContemporary Approach to Cardiovascular Prevention
Speaker: Daniel Luger, MD, Non-Invasive Cardiology, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
9:25 - 9:50 amExercise Physiology
Speaker: Sean Swearingen, MD, Cardiology, Director of Sports and Exercise Cardiology, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
9:50 - 10:15 amAdvances in GLP Pharmacotherapeutics    
Speaker: Daniel Luger, MD, Non-Invasive Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
10:15 - 10:30 amPanel Discussion
Moderator: Gaurav Shah, DO, FACC, FSCAI, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Medical Director, Cardiology, Rush Copley Medical Center
10:30 - 11 amBreak/Exhibits 

11 am - 12:30 p.m.  Session 2 – Aortic Valve and Aortic Pathologies

Moderator: Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center

11 - 11:25 amAdvances in Structural Interventions for Aortic Valve Disease 
Speaker: Gaurav Dhar, MD, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Section Chief of Structural Heart Disease and Professor, Rush University Medical Center, Program Director, Structural Heart Disease Fellowship, Rush University 
11:25 - 11:50 amInnovations in the Surgical Treatment Options of the Ascending Aortic Aneurysms
Speaker: Patroklos Pappas, MD, Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgical Associates, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center
11:50 am - 12:15 pmAdvances in Treatment of Descending Aorta and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections 
Speaker: Carlos Bechara, MD, FACS, DFSVS, Vascular Surgery, Rush Medical Group
12:15 - 12:30 pmPanel Discussion 
Moderator: Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center
12:30 - 1:15 pmLunch, Exhibits

1:15 - 2:55 pm    Session 3 - Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy

Moderator: Steve Attanasio, DO, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Associate Professor, Rush University Medical Center

1:15 – 1:35 pmATTR-CM
Speaker: Janki Thakker, MD, Fellow, Cardiology, Rush University
1:35 – 1:55 pmHypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Speaker: Ahmet Oktay, MD, Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center
1:55 - 2:15 pmIschemic Cardiomyopathy- The High-Risk Patient
Speaker: Matthew Collins, MD, Interventional Cardiology Fellow, Rush University Medical Center
2:15 – 2:35 pmCardiotoxic Chemotherapy Related Cardiomyopathy
Speakers: Salaheldin Abusin, MD; Pete S. Batra, MD, FACS, FARS, Dean, Rush Medical College, Senior Vice President, Rush University System for Health, Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Rush University Medical Center
2:35 – 2:55 pmPanel Discussion
Steve Attanasio, DO, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Associate Professor, Rush University Medical Center
2:55 - 3:15 pmClosing Remarks 
Mamata Alwarshetty, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Assistant Professor, Rush University Medical Center
Steve Attanasio, DO, Interventional Cardiology, Rush Medical Group, Associate Professor, Rush University Medical Center

Target Audience: 
This activity is designed for medical students, interns, residents, fellows, attending physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. 

Credit Type Requested: CME, CNE, CE
Number of Credits: 5.5 

Educational Objectives:

  • Define a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the cardiovascular subspecialties of interventional and structural heart disease, cardiomyopathy and preventative cardiology
  • Explain surgical and percutaneous therapies for aortic valve and aorta
  • Discuss recognizing, diagnostic strategies, novel therapeutics and advances in the treatment of uncommon and common cardiomyopathies and heart failure
  • Identify preventive strategies for cardiovascular health including pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based lifestyle changes and exercise physiology
  • Describe innovations in imaging for cardiovascular conditions. 

Exhibitors and Sponsors:

Thank you to our Exhibitors and Lunch Sponsor.

Exhibitors:
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
AstraZeneca
ATTR-AstraZeneca
Boston Scientific
Bridgebio Pharma
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Cytokinetics
IRhythm
J&J MedTech/Biosense Webster
Kestra Medical Technologies
Medtronic
Medtronic Renal Denervation
Novartis
Novo Nordisk
Pfizer Rare Cardiac Disease
Regeneron Healthcare Solutions
SCPharmaceuticals
Zoll LifeVest

Lunch Sponsor:
Dr. Santosh Kaur Gill Heart Fund