Ryan Wahidi, MD, a WashU Medicine vascular surgery resident and research fellow at the CardioVascular Innovation and Innovation Science and Engineering Center (CVISE), has received the Jack L. Cronenwett Scholarship from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) Fellowship in Training (FIT) Program. The scholarship recognizes outstanding trainees who have demonstrated excellence in vascular research and quality improvement and provides support for continued scholarly engagement with the VQI and its Patient Safety Organization. The award was presented on June 10 at the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM26: Advancing the Future of Vascular Care) in Boston, MA.
Wahidi conducts translational and clinical research focused on abdominal aortic aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body’s largest artery weakens and enlarges. His recent presentations include:
- Sex-based Differences in Macrophage Activation in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, which examines biological mechanisms that may contribute to differences in aneurysm development between men and women, was presented at Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS); and
- Biaxial Mechanics of Murine Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Tissue to Model Human Disease, a collaboration with the McKelvey School of Engineering exploring specific biomechanical derangements in aneurysm tissue along with their microscopic correlates, was presented at the Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC), as well as at the American Heart Association (AHA) Vascular Discovery Conference.
Through his work with CVISE with faculty mentorship from Zachary Wanken, MD, MS, (VQI-FIT) and Mohamed Zayed, MD, PhD, MBA, Wahidi combines basic science investigation with clinical research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with vascular disease.
The VQI-FIT program is designed for residents and fellows in vascular surgery and vascular disease-focused specialties, including interventional cardiology and vascular medicine. Through a mentored curriculum, participants engage in quality improvement initiatives, clinical outcomes research and analysis of VQI data. The 12- to 18-month program introduces trainees to the principles of quality measurement and patient safety while fostering future leaders in vascular care. A limited number of participants are selected each year to receive the Jack L. Cronenwett Scholarship in recognition of exceptional achievement and potential.
Throughout the VQI-FIT program, Wahidi has specifically evaluated renal function related to endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm. Specifically, he has evaluated the effect of chronic kidney disease as well as acute kidney injury in the outcomes of patients undergoing repair. The scholarship will provide opportunities for Wahidi to continue advancing his research while working closely with VQI mentors, committees and quality improvement leaders. The award also supports participation in VQI initiatives that use national vascular registry data to identify best practices and improve the quality and safety of vascular care.