Diwan appointed inaugural professor of Shaeffer | Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Abhinav Diwan, MD, a highly regarded cardiologist with expertise in the molecular underpinnings of cardiovascular disease, has been named the first Charlie W. Shaeffer, MD, Professor of Cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Diwan was installed by David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, George and Carol Bauer, dean of the School of Medicine, and Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor.

Diwans’ team studies the mechanisms underlying cardiac dysfunction in cardiovascular disease and heart failure. His laboratory has identified lysosome dysfunction as a contributing factor in the progression of heart disease. Lysosomes are compartments within cells that act as garbage collectors; they contain digestive enzymes that participate in the breakdown of dying cells and the destruction of invading viruses and other pathogens. His laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Diwans’ team has also implicated lysosomal dysfunction as a contributing factor in atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, highlighting similarities that could point to common therapeutic strategies in a range of diseases. His lab aims to analyze how lysosomes can be targeted to improve health, extend lifespan and treat disease.

Dr. Shaeffer has a long history of patient care and advocacy toward better cardiovascular health, and we are grateful that this chair will continue to support innovative research to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. It is a pleasure to recognize Dr. Diwan with this chair. He is a dedicated physician-scientist whose groundbreaking research could lead to new and better ways to treat or prevent heart disease, the world’s leading cause of death.

Diwan, also a professor of medicine, neurology, cell biology and physiology, and obstetrics and gynecology in the School of Medicine, joined the faculty of the Cardiovascular Division in 2008. He practices general cardiology and specializes in in echocardiography, the use of ultrasound to image the heart to evaluate its structure and function. He treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the John Cochran VA Medical Center, where he also serves as chief of the Division of Cardiology.

Dr. Diwan is an exceptionally talented physician-scientist and a dedicated mentor, Perlmutter said. His work in lysosome biology is leading to the identification of new targets to improve the treatment of heart disease. Their work builds on the dedication and impact of Charles Shaeffers’ advocacy and work to reduce the burden of heart disease.

Diwan is the program director of a longstanding NIH training grant in the Cardiovascular Division, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. He also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Cardiology Physician-Scientist Fellowship Researcher Training Track for the Cardiovascular Division.

Dr. Diwan is an outstanding physician-scientist dedicated to patient care and the education of early-career physicians, said Victoria J. Fraser, MD, Adolphus Busch Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine. We are delighted to recognize his contributions to the understanding of heart disease and related conditions with this inaugural chair.

Diwan also serves as principal investigator for a VA initiative to combat emerging and infectious and life-threatening diseases, a national VA biospecimen and data repository that he helped create in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charlie Willard Shaeffer Jr. degree in medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in 1964. In recognition of the importance of a scholarship Shaeffer had received as a medical student, Schaeffer and his wife, Claire, established the Charlie W. Shaeffer Jr. ., MD, Scholarship in 2008 for medical students at the university. In 2018, they established a fund for a named chair in cardiology.

Charlie Shaeffer recognized the impact of societal influences on patients’ health and was a strong advocate of preventive medicine, smoke-free environments, and education to reduce the incidence of heart disease. He held several positions throughout his career, including as chief of cardiology and president of Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. He died in 2023.

We are pleased to recognize and support the work of Dr. Diwans with this inaugural chair, there is no one better to help us honor the legacy of Dr. Shaeffers, said Sumanth D. Prabhu, MD, the Tobias and Hortense Lewin Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Disease and director of the School of Medicine’s Cardiovascular Division. Dr. Diwan has made and will continue to make significant contributions to our knowledge of lysosomal dysfunction. This knowledge could have important implications for future therapies developed for cardiometabolic diseases and heart failure.

Diwan is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, an honor bestowed by his peers on the best in his field, and chairs the organization’s and VA’s research committees. He is also a permanent member of the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute peer review committee for the review of training grants.

Diwan has also mentored many doctors and scientists at different stages of their careers. His trainees have successfully competed for professional development awards and established independently funded research programmes.

He earned his medical degree from the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He then completed an internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship through the physician-scientist training pathway at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.