February 29, 2012

Dear Adult Congenital Heart Disease Colleague,

We are contacting individuals who have either previously expressed interest in joining the Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology (AARCC) or colleagues have suggested be invited to apply for membership. We are a team of ACHD clinician-investigators interested in promoting multicenter clinical research in ACHD.  We have made efforts in recent years to formally organize and incorporate the group, which has slowed our ability to expand membership. However, it is time to grow.  Members are expected to contribute, via regular conference calls and biannual meetings, to project development, grant submission, subject enrollment, data analysis and publication, and annual membership dues. 

There has been considerable interest in membership.  Therefore, we have tried to develop a transparent process to select new members based on factors including institutional patient volume, institutional support for research, regional location, and investigator track record of previous ACHD research. Please recognize that AARCC membership is not required for collaborative research.  Our bylaws allow for two new members to join AARCC this year.

For that reason, ask that interested individuals complete the information sheet (see link below) to provide us with an overview of interests, and gauge the extent to which the applicant and program may assist AARCC in pursuing its mission of advancing ACHD research.  The form and a current CV can be sent to any AARCC member by Friday, March 16, 2012. We expect to review submitted applications and select new members during our business meeting at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Chicago. 

If you are not elected this year, please understand that there are many outstanding ACHD providers and centers (currently > 20) that have expressed an interest in joining AARCC. Recognizing this, we are also enthusiastic to develop other research collaborations in specific studies.  Again, membership in AARCC is not required for participation in or spearheading original research studies.  We encourage your input, whether a member or not, in suggesting possible multi-center research proposals for consideration and feedback.

We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Anne Marie Valente, MD, President

Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology

On behalf of the AARCC Membership Committee

 AARCC_Membership_Application_Revised_022012.pdf

 

Current Members

Anne Marie Valente, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Joseph Kay, MD, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado

Jamil Aboulhosn, MD, UCLA, Los Angeles, California

Sasha Opotowsky,  MD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Brian Kogan, MD, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

Wayne Franklin, MD, Baylor University, Houston, Texas

Michael Earing, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Stephen Cook, MD, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg Pennsylvania

Jennifer Grando-Ting, MD, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania

Craig Broberg, MD, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon

Michelle Gurvtiz, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Paul Khairy, MD   Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec