Dr. Stavros George Drakos is a Professor of Cardiology and Physiology at the Univ. of Utah Healthcare & School of Medicine and the Salt Lake VA Medical Center. He is the Medical Director of our institution's historic Cardiac Mechanical Support/Artificial Heart Program, Co-Director Heart Failure & Transplant and Director of Research for the Division of Cardiology. Dr. Drakos is one of 27 cardiologists in the country being recognized by Forbes as an exemplary physician in the field of Cardiology.

Dr. Drakos and his team published clinical studies in heart failure together with scientific work generated in the laboratory which led to the establishment of the award-winning Utah Cardiac Recovery Program (UCAR). He is the chairperson of the Clinical Integrative Cardiovascular and Hematological Sciences (CCHS) at the NIH and a visiting professor in medical centers in the US, Asia and Europe (including the U of Athens and Cyprus back home). He is co-chairing the annual international Utah Cardiac Recovery Symposium (UCARS) and the NIH Working Group on Myocardial Recovery. Dr. Drakos mentored over the years several individuals who are now independent faculty in academic medical centers in the US and overseas.

CLINICAL INFO

Dr. Drakos is one of 27 cardiologists across the country being recognized by Forbes as an exemplary physician in the field of Cardiology: https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2017/12/05/27-top-cardiologists-picked-by-big-data/#2d2c230d6a7e

Earlier in his career he completed advanced heart failure and transplant training at the U of Utah (2001-2003) and after returning to the U of Athens in Greece he played a pivotal role in starting the first Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) program in the country (2003-2008) in collaboration with Sir Magdi Yacoub's team, Harefield/Imperial College London. Six years later (2008) he was recruited back at the U of Utah and since then he has been on faculty at the Division of Cardiology.