Marfan Foundation Honors Bhalla at Annual Gala

Sanjeev Bhalla, MD, professor of radiology and chief of cardiothoracic imaging for Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), was honored with the Marfan Foundation’s Hero With A Heart Award at the 14th annual Heartworks St. Louis gala. The Hero With A Heart Award honors those whose work contributes to the advancement in care, research or awareness of Marfan syndrome and related aortic conditions. Marfan syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects connective tissue, which hold the body’s cells, tissues, and organs together. The condition affects about 1 in 5,000 people.

“Dr. Bhalla is a renowned diagnostic radiologist with special expertise in cardiovascular imaging and an outstanding clinician. He is a vital member of the aortic team and is always available at a moment’s notice,” said Alan Braverman, MD, in a news release from the Marfan Foundation. Braverman is the Alumni Endowed Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases, director of the Marfan Syndrome and Aortopathy Clinic and the event host. “Individuals who come to St. Louis for medical care for genetic aortic and vascular conditions benefit from the outstanding imaging provided at our institution and the expert interpretation of these studies by Dr. Bhalla and his colleagues, some of the finest cardiac radiologists in the country. Cardiologists, vascular and genetic surgeons, and patients all benefit from his outstanding care.”

The Heartworks St. Louis gala took place at the Four Seasons on Saturday, March 11. The gala is an annual benefit for The Marfan Foundation, raising funding for the foundation’s programs and services for people with Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos, and related genetic aortic and vascular conditions.