Joseph G Akar

Personal History

Dr Joseph Gabriel Akar was born in January 1971 and speaks Arabic, English and French.⁹

He is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Cardiology at the Yale University School of Medicine. He is currently Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and the Complex Ablation Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Academic History

Dr Akar received his Bachelor's degree in Biology at Pennsylvania State University then obtained an MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1995.² He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, followed by fellowships in Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Virginia, where he completed his PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, focusing on the study of electrical and structural remodeling in atrial fibrillation.^{1, 8}

Career Overview

After his fellowships, Dr Akar joined Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago where he was on faculty for five years before returning to Yale to establish and direct the Complex Ablation Program.¹ Dr Akar specializes in catheter ablation of complex arrhythmias such as refractory persistent atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and arrhythmias related to heart failure and valve disease. His speciality is performing ablation without fluoroscopy in order to reduce patient exposure to radiation.¹ 

Dr Akar implants a wide range of cardiac devices and has a particular interest in remote monitoring devices. He has published extensively in these areas and is a member of multiple guideline committees. He has on a number of occasions been a Visiting Professor at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, a major non-profit academic hospital in Beirut, Lebanon.^{5, 6} 

Dr Akar is Board Certified by the AB of Internal Medicine in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology (2005) and AB of Internal Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease (2003).⁹ A member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), he has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Cardiology and the Food and Drug Administration.^{1, 3}

Career Timeline

• Yale-New Haven Hospital
  • 1995 - 1996: Intern, Internal Medicine
  • 1996 - 1998: Resident, Internal Medicine
• University of Virginia
  • 1998 - 2002: Fellow, Cardiovascular Medicine
  • 2002 - 2004: Fellow, Cardiac Electrophysiology
• 2004 - 2009: Assistant Professor, Loyola University Chicago
• 2009 - Present: Yale University
  • Chief, Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Associate Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine
  • Director, Electrophysiology Laboratory and the Complex Ablation Program 

Recognition 

• 2007 PI for Young Investigator Award Finalist, Heart Rhythm Society
• 2002 Finalist, Virginia Affiliate Research Competition, American College of Cardiology

Areas of Speciality

• Clinical electrophysiology
• Atrial fibrillation
• Arrhythmias

Sources

1. https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/joseph_akar/
2. https://www.ynhh.org/physicians/joseph-g-akar.aspx?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_mZ_wNUnVLTTz.OpAXSflLv83IzaKdJx_HDsOpFJCBcU-1631746769-0-gqNtZGzNAjujcnBszQil#biography 
3. https://www.doximity.com/pub/joseph-akar-md 
4. https://medicarcp.com/en/hcp/details/18654 
5. https://www.stgeorgehospital.org/physician.php?action=profile&id=3330 
6. https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/eplab/articles/Spotlight-Interview-Saint-George-Hospital-University-Medical-Center 
7. https://trakmd.com/p/doctor/MjE4MzQ/MjE4NzY/ZG9jdG9y/dr.-joseph-akar 
8. https://www.stgeorgehospital.org/storage/Saint-George-Abstract_2.pdf
9. https://www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/joseph_akar 

Dr Akar is on the AER editorial board.