Children’s Hospital Colorado Appoints Dr. Shelley D. Miyamoto as New Head of Pediatric Cardiology
January 25, 2024
Nationally renowned pediatric cardiologist and researcher selected to assume lead cardiology position as predecessor steps down.
Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) recently announced the appointment of Dr. Shelley Miyamoto, pediatric cardiologist and inaugural Jack Cooper Millisor Chair in Pediatric Heart Disease, as the new head of pediatric cardiology and co-director of its Heart Institute.
During Dr. Miyamoto’s distinguished career, the investment of an endowed chair by the Millisor family have allowed the Heart Institute at Children’s Colorado to discover new treatments for congenital heart disease. As the chairholder, Dr. Miyamoto has been able to conduct innovative studies, publish more than 90 papers, validate research findings and apply for larger grants. As a result, Dr. Miyamoto and her team have received more than $13 million in grant funding, including $11 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Miyamoto’s impressive career is marked not only by academic achievements but also her passion for mentoring. She has been a trusted advisor to more than 40 trainees, students and junior faculty during her tenure and currently serves as co-chair for the department’s Pediatrics Promotion Committee. This appointment is well-deserved, and we are so grateful for the life-changing work she does for our patients and their families.
Dr. David Brumbaugh, chief medical officer for Children’s Colorado
Dr. Miyamoto is the immediate past-chair of the Young Hearts Council of the American Heart Association and is a member of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation and the Society for Pediatric Research, among others. She has presented extensively throughout her career, served on medical and scientific advisory boards and co-holds several patents.
She completed her Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Colorado in 2005 and has held key positions since then including being co-founder and current co-director of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Laboratory at the University of Colorado and director of the cardiomyopathy program at Children’s Colorado. Prior to joining Children’s Colorado, Miyamoto obtained her Medical Degree from the University of Iowa (receiving the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille Carver College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award in 2019) and completed her pediatric residency training at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, where she served as a chief resident.
I am excited to continue to build on the work of Dr. Dunbar Ivy, our previous head of pediatric cardiology, who has seen our Heart Institute develop into an international leader across an extensive spectrum of clinical and research areas. My focus will be to ensure this program continues to live up to its prestigious reputation as a premier pediatric cardiology program in the world.
Dr. Shelley Miyamoto
Dr. Dunbar Ivy led the Section of Cardiology for more than 20 years and was integral to the Heart Institute being recognized as among the premier pediatric cardiology programs in the world. Dr. Ivy will remain at the Heart Institute as a mentor, researcher and leader of the Section’s Pulmonary Hypertension program.
Dr. Ivy currently holds Selby’s Chair in Pediatric Cardiology, an endowed chair established in honor of Selby Rickenbaugh, who passed away from a congenital heart condition at just two months old. Dr. Ivy has held this role since 2003. Dr. Miyamoto will take over the Selby’s Chair as the new head of the Heart Institute.
About the Heart Institute
Children’s Colorado’s Heart Institute is ranked among the best heart centers in the nation for heart care and surgery by U.S. News & World Report. It is also one of the fastest growing pediatric heart institutes in the nation, and one of only eight stand-alone pediatric cardiology research centers in the country. The Heart Institute has been accepted as one of 9 core research centers into the Pediatric Heart Network, an NIH-funded consortium of leading hospitals with congenital heart programs across North America.
The institute’s multidisciplinary care team treats more than 20,000 patients each year and is one of the few centers to have performed more than 500 pediatric heart transplants All services a patient may require are here, in one place, with more than 15 specialties, including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, heart transplant, cardiac intensive care, cardiac anesthesia, cardiac imaging and cardiac research. There are 20 unique programs for pediatric patients and young adults with all forms of acquired or congenital heart conditions, such as adult congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, multisystem inflammatory disease in children (MIS-C), murmurs, pulmonary hypertension and more. The Heart Institute’s Fellowship program has educated dozens of pediatric cardiologists who are changing the lives of children with heart disease across the country.
About Children’s Hospital Colorado
Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the nation’s leading and most expansive nonprofit pediatric healthcare systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and recognized as a top 10 children’s hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative and groundbreaking treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric healthcare worldwide.
Children’s Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Colorado, including an academic medical center on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, hospitals in Colorado Springs, Highlands Ranch and Broomfield, and outreach clinics across the region.