Rooted in science: Fellow advances cardiovascular research with heart

From an early age, Bhanu Maturi, MD, was drawn to science. Growing up in Tirupati, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, India, he was surrounded by family members in the medical field—his sister is a physiology professor, his brother-in-law an ophthalmologist, and his uncle a radiologist. Bhanu’s father, a botanist, nurtured his interest as a child, often pointing out various plants and teaching him about their unique properties.

“My father always encouraged me toward science and medicine,” Bhanu says. “I appreciate him for guiding me this way, because I get to realize the immense satisfaction of treating a patient.”

In keeping with the family tradition, Bhanu enrolled at Sri Venkateshwara Medical College in his hometown. When an opportunity presented itself to study abroad at the University of Louisville in Kentucky during his fourth year of medical school, he seized it. Inspired by the advanced therapies and innovative research he witnessed, Bhanu decided to build his career in the United States. Soon after, however, while preparing to take the medical licensing exam, he unexpectedly lost his father to a heart attack.

“His sudden passing deeply influenced me and motivated me to dedicate my career to cardiology, with a focus on preventing and improving outcomes in heart disease,” he says.

Bhanu went on to complete a residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he worked for several years caring for patients in underserved communities. Never losing sight of his goal to become a cardiologist, he moved to Houston, where he completed advanced training in heart failure and transplantation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He was then accepted into the school’s Cardiovascular Disease Research Pathway Fellowship under the direction of Deepa Raghunathan, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Francisco Fuentes, MD, the Theodore R. and Maureen O’Driscoll Levy Professor in Cardiology Research and Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Bhanu Maturi, MD, works alongside mentor Francisco Fuentes, MD, to advance research that improves patients’ cardiovascular health.

The Cardiovascular Disease Research Pathway Fellowship, which is supported by the generosity of donors, has allowed Bhanu to shift from an intense year of clinical training into a program that integrates research along with inpatient and outpatient care.

“The past two years have been crucial in shaping my future cardiology perspective,” he says. “I really appreciate the donors who have supported this fellowship program.”

One of his major research projects focuses on optimizing the use of lifesaving mechanical circulatory support devices for critically ill patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an external machine that temporarily takes over the work of the heart and lungs, and the Impella 5.5, a miniature pump placed inside the heart, provide a lifeline for patients in cardiac crisis. However, little research currently exists on the combined use of these tools.

Another project harnesses artificial intelligence to improve cardiac rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is essential after a heart attack or surgery, but many patients fail to complete their programs. By analyzing years of patient data, Bhanu hopes to create a predictive model that identifies who is most at risk of dropping out—and which exercises are most effective for recovery.

“We want to be able to say: ‘With all these factors, you are at high risk of discontinuing rehab,’” he explains. “That way, physicians can intervene earlier and keep patients engaged.”

Working alongside Raghunathan and Fuentes to translate clinical experience into research that improves patient outcomes, Bhanu honors his father’s memory and brings his goal of becoming an academic cardiologist closer within reach. His journey is just one example of how philanthropy equips fellows with the skills, tools, and mentorship to transform personal passion into discoveries that save lives.