The VEINS/VIVA 2022 Top Awards Recognize Leaders in Vascular Medicine

Photo credit: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

November 2, 2022 — A number of awards of distinction were presented during The VEINS (Venous Endovascular INterventional Strategies) 2022 Conference Oct. 30-31, in Las Vegas, NV. This comprehensive education symposium is focused on the diagnosis, intervention, and management of venous disorders. The Conference, now in its 20th year, delves into PE, superficial and deep vein disease, pelvic vein disease, dialysis, and medical management, allowing attendees to explore key clinical topics, current practice trends, and get a glimpse of what’s next in venous disease care.

Additionally, VIVA22, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, is a vascular education symposium that emphasizes innovation and multidisciplinary learning. The milestone conference marks VIVA's 20th anniversary as a premier educational event for endovascular specialists. Planners note that VIVA22 continues to define innovation in vascular medicine and intervention, featuring a world-renowned, multispecialty faculty; extended concurrent and pre-course sessions; state-of-the-art technology, according to Conference planners.

The VIVA Foundation is a not-for-profit organization committed to improving patient outcomes by advancing the field of vascular medicine and intervention through collaborative education, advocacy, and targeted research.

VIVA and The VEINS bring together a global, multispecialty faculty to present a variety of talks and live case presentations from clinical centers around the world. Attendees for both events include an audience of interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and endovascular medicine specialists.

The LIVE Award

The VIVA Foundation’s 2022 LIVE Award recipient is Daniel Clair, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was recently named as the inaugural chair and professor of the Department of Vascular Surgery, specializing in innovative vascular disease care.

The Leader In EndoVascular Education, the LIVE Award, recognizes those vascular specialists who have dedicated their professional careers to educating students, postgraduate trainees, and peers in all aspects of vascular medicine and intervention. The presentation will be made on Nov. 1 in Las Vegas, NV.

Clair is well known as an outstanding leader, serving on national, regional and local committees, including the Vascular Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery, and the Society of Vascular Surgery Education Council. He serves on Editorial Boards of Vascular Disease Management and the Journal of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery.

Clair received his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed his internship and surgical residency, as well as a fellowship in vascular surgery, at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. He also completed a fellowship in clinical oncology with the American Cancer Society.

He served in the U.S. Air Force as chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Andrews Air Force Base before beginning his civilian practice at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He was named the division chief of Vascular Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Presbyterian Campus, and later returned to the Cleveland Clinic as the department chair of Vascular Surgery, a position he held for 10 years. Clair was then named professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of South Carolina, where he completed a five-year term.

The VEINS Award

Venous Educator, Innovator, and National Statesman Award - The VEINS Award honors those individuals who have made significant contributions to improving the care of patients with venous disease.

The VIVA Foundation 2022 VEINS Award recipient is Raghu Kolluri, MD, MS, who accepted the award during an Oct. 30 ceremony.

In addition to his work as the Founder and Co-Course Director of The VEINS conference, Kolluri serves as the System Medical Director of Vascular Medicine for OhioHealth System and Riverside Methodist Hospital, the President of Syntropic CoreLab, a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and a member of the VIVA Board of Directors. He has authored numerous articles and book chapters, and has lectured extensively on vascular disease. His research interests include DVT prophylaxis and vascular testing.

Other significant awards were presented on Nov. 1, and include The ATLAS Award and the Vascular Career Advancement Awards, recognizing achievement in key areas.

The ATLAS Award

A Teacher, Leader, And Scholar Award — The ATLAS Award celebrates the career and impact of physicians who have distinguished themselves as scholars and leaders in their respective vascular fields. They have committed their careers to advancing the care of patients with vascular disorders, and they have taught countless numbers of physicians techniques to expand care across the United States and the world.

The VIVA Foundation has announced that its 2022 ATLAS Award recipient is Michael Dake, MD.

Michael Dake, MD, is Senior Vice President of Health Sciences at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, where he is Professor of Medical Imaging, Surgery, and Medicine. He is also Emeritus Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. At the University of Arizona, he is responsible for the Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix, as well as the Colleges of Nursing, Public Health, and Pharmacy. He served as Division Chief of Interventional Radiology for 15 years at Stanford before being named Chairman of the Department of Radiology at the University of Virginia. He returned to Stanford in 2008 to focus on developing endovascular procedures to manage patients with thoracic and abdominal diseases.

His research interests include the use of drug-eluting stents and balloons for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and the use of percutaneous therapies to address a range of venous lesions. In addition to specialty certification in diagnostic radiology and vascular and interventional radiology, Dr. Dake is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

The Vascular Career Advancement Award

VIVA and LINC have collaborated to develop the Vascular Career Advancement Award to recognize young physicians who show promise as potential leaders in the vascular field. Recipients are selected for their dedication to a philosophy of multidisciplinary vascular care and improving the care and outcomes of patients with vascular disease.

The VIVA Foundation’s 2022 VCA Award recipients are Eva Freisinger, MD, and Eric Secemsky, MD, MSc.

Eva Freisinger, MD, has been in practice at the University Hospital Muenster since 2012, and became a Senior Physician in the Department of Cardiology and Angiology in 2018. Her scientific focus lies in healthcare research for cardiovascular diseases and gender medicine. She currently serves as a project leader in major projects funded by the federal government of Germany.

Dr. Freisinger is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, most recently the August Wilhelm and Lieselotte Becht Scientific Prize of the German Heart Foundation in 2021 for her research on the safety of oral anticoagulation in high-risk individuals. Furthermore, her large-scale real-world analyses on the safety of paclitaxel-coated devices in the peripheral arteries has substantially contributed to reform this methodical approach in PAD.

Eric A. Secemsky, MD, MSc, is the Director of Vascular Intervention in the CardioVascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Director of Vascular Research at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Secemsky’s research focuses on the comparative effectiveness of coronary and vascular therapies, with an emphasis on the use of novel statistical methods. He also examines outcomes related to cardiovascular disorders and the use of risk prediction models to guide treatment decisions. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has lectured nationally and internationally on his research. His research is funded by the NIH, Harvard Medical School, philanthropy, and extramural grants. He also serves as an Associate Editor of Vascular Medicine and on the Editorial Board of Circulation: Cardiovascular Intervention.