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Dr. Robb MacLellan
May 31, 2023

Robb MacLellan stepping down as Cardiology Division Head

He will continue in his role as Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine.
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Dr. W. Robb MacLellan is stepping down as Cardiology Division Head effective June 16. MacLellan came to the University of Washington as the fifth division head of Cardiology on November 1, 2011, after 13 years at UCLA where he was the Maud Cady Guthman Chair in Cardiology, associate chief of the Division of Cardiology, director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program and director of the Cardiovascular Stem Cell Research Center.

At the UW he holds the Robert A. Bruce Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research, directs the UW Medicine Heart Institute and co-directs the Heart Regeneration Program.

Under his leadership, the division has seen significant and comprehensive growth. The faculty size more than doubled, grants and contracts totaled over $115 million, and a prolific partnership with UW Advancement helped to grow the philanthropic efforts, adding 7 endowed funds, and raising over $2 million last year alone.

He became director of the Regional Heart Center and rebranded it as the Heart Institute as a draw for patients across the country.

New programs were established, including the Center for Cardiovascular Innovation in 2017, focusing on the development of cardiovascular devices for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary and peripheral artery disease, structural heart disease, heart failure and heart rhythm disorders, and the Global Cardiovascular Health Program in 2021, dedicated to global cardiovascular disease prevention and care.

By promoting the growth and engagement of junior faculty, he has created a program that will be sustained.

On July 1, 2022, he accepted the new position of executive vice chair in the Department of Medicine, responsible for clinical strategy, optimizing clinical activity, and delivery of care. He is officially stepping down as Cardiology Division Head on June 16 and Dr. Jordan Prutkin will be interim division head.

"Please join me in thanking Robb for his years of outstanding service as head of the Division of Cardiology and in my excitement for his ongoing work as our inaugural executive vice chair," said Department Chair Dr. Barbara Jung.