Pulse Gala 2024

For driving positive change, pioneering innovative methods to enhance health care access and equity, or significantly impacting patient quality of life.

Mariell Jessup, MD

An internationally renowned thought leader in heart failure research, prevention, and treatment, Dr. Mariell Jessup has worked tirelessly to advance the field of cardiovascular medicine. As the Chief Science and Medical Officer of the American Heart Association (AHA), she leads the AHA’s scientific initiatives, medical strategy, and key strategic partnerships. Her groundbreaking work led to heart failure and transplant cardiology becoming a certified secondary subspecialty in 2004.

Dr. Jessup has published numerous articles, editorials, and reviews on heart failure and heart transplant, and she has been an investigator in many landmark clinical trials. Notably, she led a key study on using the gene for SERCA2A to treat ischemic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease strongly associated with heart attacks. Her dedication and compassionate approach as a physician-scientist and mentor have profoundly impacted countless patients, families, and young professionals throughout her distinguished clinical career. Over her 24 years of volunteer service to the AHA, Dr. Jessup has held numerous significant roles, including Chair of the ACC/AHA Heart Failure Guidelines in 2009 and Chair of the AHA’s Committee on Scientific Sessions Program in 2009 and 2010. She served as the AHA President from 2013-14 and was honored with the AHA’s highest accolade, the Gold Heart Award, in June 2018.

For an exceptional leader who demonstrates unwavering commitment to perform at an elevated standard of excellence.

Michael A. Mussallem

A widely respected industry icon, Michael A. Mussallem served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Edwards Lifesciences for over two decades. Under his dynamic leadership, Edwards established its position as a global leader in patient-focused medical innovations with the introduction of lifesaving and life-sustaining therapies such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement, rapid-deployment surgical heart valve replacement and non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring.

Driven by a passion to help patients, Mussallem not only led the development and successful implementation of the company’s patient-focused innovation strategy, but also established Edwards’ commitment to philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for AdvaMed and the California Health Institute (CHI), and previously served as an advisory board member for the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California. In 2022, Mussallem was elected as a member to the National Academy of Engineering, in recognition of the impact of transcatheter heart valves on the health of patients worldwide.

For embodying a pioneering spirit, continually pushing the boundaries of innovation, and advancing the frontiers of medical technology and patient care.

Peter Fitzgerald, MD, PhD

Dr. Peter Fitzgerald is an accomplished inventor, entrepreneur, and investment fund founder, uniquely blending his expertise as an interventional cardiologist and engineer. He serves as the Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Technology and the Cardiovascular Core Analysis Laboratory (CCAL) at Stanford University Medical School, which is dedicated to advancing state-of-the-art technologies in cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Fitzgerald holds professorships in both the departments of medicine and engineering (by courtesy) at Stanford.

Throughout his career, Dr. Fitzgerald has balanced his roles as a clinician and a researcher, helping to develop and test new technologies while remaining involved in patient care. He is also known for his mentorship, guiding and inspiring the next generation of medical professionals and innovators. Simultaneously, he has ventured into the world of venture capital, founding, and nurturing several new companies. He has led or participated in over 175 clinical trials, published over 550 manuscripts and chapters, and trained over 150 postdoctoral fellows in engineering and medicine. As the principal and founder of 24 medical device companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Fitzgerald has successfully transitioned 18 of these startups into medium- and large-cap life science companies. In 2009, he co-founded TriVentures, a global incubator and venture fund focused on early-stage medical technology and digital health.