The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has announced that Megha Prasad has been selected as the recipient of the SCAI-Women in Innovations (WIN) CHIP Fellowship. The $100,000 fellowship opportunity was made possible with a grant from Abiomed and was offered to female interventional cardiology fellows or practicing female interventional cardiologists interested in pursuing an additional year of advanced training focusing on complex and high-risk interventional procedures (CHIP) and percutaneous acute mechanical circulatory support.
Prasad will be able to apply fellowship funds to her choice of an ACGME-accredited interventional training program that offers CHIP and percutaneous acute mechanical circulatory support training in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory beginning in July 2019. She is currently a fellow in interventional cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center (USA) and completed her residency in internal medicine and her fellowship in cardiology at Mayo Clinic. Prasad also received her master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Research from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medical Education. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a medical degree from the University of Southern California/Keck School of Medicine.
She comments: “I am so thankful to the SCAI-WIN committee for this fellowship that will give me the opportunity to advance my skills as a coronary interventional operator and continue my academic research endeavours. I am also grateful to my mentors who have invested so much in me, and those that will continue to train me at a time when so many exciting techniques are emerging to better serve patients with complex coronary disease.”
J Dawn Abbott, chair of the SCAI-WIN committee, states: “Dr Prasad has already distinguished herself as a future leader within interventional cardiology and brings a wealth of academic and clinical experience specific to coronary interventions.”
Cindy Grines states: “It is estimated that only 4% of practicing interventional cardiologists are women. Surveys have demonstrated that one of the main reasons women report not going into interventional cardiology is a lack of opportunity.”
The Women in Innovations program originated with a mission to increase the number of female interventional cardiologists and help them with their professional development.
