James D. Marsh, M.D., Honored by American Heart Association

By ChaseYavondaC

Marsh received the Worthen-Cornett Award on March 10 at the Little Rock Heart Ball at the Statehouse Convention Center.

Named in memory of the philanthropy and dedication shown by the late George Worthen and the late James K. Cornett, M.D., the Worthen-Cornett Awarded is presented to an individual each year at the Heart Ball for excellence in volunteerism. Recipients demonstrate an outstanding commitment to working with the American Heart Association’s mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Marsh has received numerous grants from the American Heart Association for a total of more than $500,000 during his career. It has funded research into using gene therapy to improve the function of a failing heart, stroke prevention and other topics.

“I am proud to receive this recognition,” Marsh said. “AHA research funding has touched the lives of every heart and stroke patient treated in the United States, no matter if the hospital is a research institution or not. This research has led to gold standard treatments and guidelines used by health care providers in every corner of the nation and around the world. Not only does every heart and stroke patient benefit from our research, but so do the millions of people who want to live healthier lives and prevent these diseases from every happening.

“My family, like the majority of families in Arkansas, has been affected by heart disease and stroke, with lives disrupted or ending too soon,” Marsh said. “It is a privilege to commit my career to developing preventive measures and new treatments for cardiovascular disease, and to caring for patients who are already bearing the burden of heart disease and stroke.”

A nationally prominent internist, cardiologist and cardiology researcher, Marsh served on the faculties at Harvard Medical School and Wayne State University before being recruited to UAMS in 2004 where he is also the Nolan Professor.

Marsh received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1974. He trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he went on to complete clinical and research fellowships in cardiovascular diseases. He served on the faculty at Harvard for 13 years while also directing the cardiology fellowship program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In 1993 he moved to Wayne State University in Detroit, where he later was appointed director of cardiology and in 2001 became associate chair of the Department of Internal Medicine.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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