Sunil Rao, MD, one of the world’s premier clinician–investigators in the field of interventional cardiology, has been named director of interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Health and the director of the NYU Langone’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in Manhattan.

Dr. Rao, who will also serve as a professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, has dedicated his career to the advancement of interventional cardiology education, research, and clinical care. He joins NYU Langone from Duke University Medical Center, where he spent the last 26 years in roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently he served as section chief of cardiology at Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“We are excited to have Dr. Rao join our faculty and the NYU Langone Health community,” says Glenn I. Fishman, MD, the William Goldring Professor of Medicine and director of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. “His experience as a clinician, researcher, and educator will further enhance the reputation of our Division of Cardiology. We look forward to a period of tremendous clinical and academic growth with him at the helm of our program.”

Dr. Rao is highly regarded for his work in radial access interventions, a technique where the catheter is advanced to the heart through the wrist instead of the groin. His work researching and teaching radial access has resulted in clinical acceptance and better outcomes for patients, including reduced risk for bleeding and injury to the heart muscle and a faster recovery. He has led or been involved in many of the seminal trials in the field and has played an instrumental role in training the next generation of interventionalists.

NYU Langone’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories are among the busiest in the country, with teams performing more than 14,000 procedures annually. Patients receive catheter-based diagnostic and therapeutic treatments for a variety of cardiovascular conditions including coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, and aortic valve disease. Under Dr. Rao’s leadership, the team will collaborate with specialists across the institution to provide the highest-quality care to all patients. 

About Dr. Rao

An alumnus of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Rao completed his internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center. He went on to complete his cardiology and interventional fellowships also at Duke University Medical Center.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Rao has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters. He serves as editor-in-chief of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions and is currently the president of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. In addition to his clinical and academic accomplishments, Dr. Rao is a dedicated educator who has received numerous teaching and mentoring awards. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Cardiology, the Veterans Affairs Health Administration, and the interventional industry. He continues to present at national and international meetings and is sought out as an expert on the subspecialty.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to join and lead such an accomplished group of interventional cardiologists,” says Dr. Rao. “There is a strong culture of innovation and patient-centeredness at NYU Langone, and with the dedication of our team I know we can make significant advancements in the field that will result in improved outcomes for our patients with cardiovascular disease.”

Media Inquiries

Rob Magyar
Phone: 212-404-3591
robert.magyar@nyulangone.org