As a child, Dr. Patrice Desvignes Nickens always knew she would become a doctor. “From an early age, she valued the idea of ​​helping others more than herself,” she says. “I chose medicine from a humanitarian point of view. Helping others. That is why for me, being a doctor is the most noble profession.”

Desvigne Nickens, a physician turned clinical trials expert, is currently helping researchers conduct clinical research trials funded by the NHLBI to advance heart disease research. Helping other people.

Over the past 40 years, Devigne-Nickens has seen the field of cardiology rapidly evolve. What made it exciting? “New drugs and pathways have been discovered, and we have improved our understanding of not only how to identify diseases but also how to prevent and treat them,” she said. Desvigne-Nickens recalled that before the 1980s, doctors primarily treated patients with emergencies such as heart attacks. Doctors now have far more tools to intervene early, she said. These include non-surgical procedures to open blocked arteries, devices that support the heart’s natural rhythms and help pump blood throughout the body, heart transplants, and personalized strategies for prevention and treatment. Masu.

Desvigne-Nickens earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then studied medicine. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completing his internal medicine residency, he became a physician fellow at NHLBI and later a physician in Detroit and Baltimore. At both locations, she developed strong bonds with her patients because of the multiple perspectives she brought to the table as a physician, mother, caregiver, and member of a faith-based community.

In 1991, Devigne-Nickens returned to NHLBI as medical officer in the Division of Heart Failure and Arrhythmia in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences. She currently oversees various clinical trials including Evaluation of Bromocriptine Therapy for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (REBIRTH). The study is investigating treatments to speed up heart recovery in mothers who develop heart failure after birth.

In clinical trials, “every step is important,” says Desvigne-Nickens, whose work is at the center of each step, from helping define research goals to ensuring participant diversity. Masu. “At the end of the day, it’s about supporting patients while finding better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat disease,” she added.