Dr. Ghisi was recognized for her work studying the impact of COVID-19 in cardiac rehab delivery.
KITE affiliate scientist Dr. Gabriela Melo Ghisi was recently awarded the Best Global Heart Journal Paper at the 2023 World Heart Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Heart Summit is a gathering of leaders in government, business, civil societies and academia where global challenges about cardiovascular health are discussed.
Dr. Ghisi received the award for leading global surveys that looked at more than 1,000 cardiac rehab programs around the globe in order to identify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac rehabilitation delivery. Findings from this project helped identify gaps and barriers in delivering cardiac rehab during the pandemic.
Dr. Ghisi worked with collaborators from six other countries as well as KITE scientists Drs. Sherry Grace, Susan Marzolini and Paul Oh on this project.
"Collaboration was a key part of this research project; it allowed me to connect to those that needed to be heard, and it allowed me to hear others in need. We are stronger when we collaborate, especially in the cardiac rehab field," says Dr. Ghisi.
"When I first came to Canada 15 years ago I didn’t think this was possible. I am a women from a low and middle-income country who had to learn how to navigate in a new country with no family around,” said Dr. Ghisi, is originally from Brazil and is now a member KITE’s cardiorespiratory team as well as an assistant professor at Temerty Faculty of Medicine at University of Toronto.
“I hope by winning this award I can inspire other women who are immigrants to follow their dreams as well as my own children to do what they love.”