AHA News Staff

American Heart Association News is produced by a team of journalists who publish a weekday news report covering heart disease, stroke, health and related issues. Stories are reviewed by science and medicine experts for accuracy. It is a free news service developed and published by staff of the American Heart Association. In addition to this website, AHA News stories are published by news outlets worldwide. (For information about republishing AHA News content, please see our terms of use.)

Staff developing AHA News stories follow these editorial guidelines and the AHA's ethics policies. Financial information about the American Heart Association, including industry sponsorships and donations, can be found here. The American Heart Association is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and sponsorships. AHA News does not cover specific medical or health products or promote sponsors of the American Heart Association. For more information, contact [email protected]. If you are a survivor wanting to share your story, contact [email protected].

John McFarland, National Vice President of News, Content and Editorial, has led American Heart Association News since its launch in 2013. Before joining the AHA in 2010, he was an editor and reporter at The Associated Press and an editor at The Dallas Morning News. He holds a journalism degree from the University of North Texas.

Melissa Weber, National Director, News, joined the AHA News staff in 2014. She is an award-winning health and science journalist who served as managing editor of CURE, the nation's largest consumer magazine for people with cancer. She is a former contributor to Cancer Today magazine, LIVESTRONG Quarterly and the American Cancer Society. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Rogelio Aranda, Assistant News Editor, joined American Heart Association News in 2022. Previously, he spent nearly 24 years with The Charlotte Observer in various roles, including breaking news and public safety editor, interim sports editor, copy editor and wire editor. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in journalism.

Jaime Aron, Senior Writer and Editor, has been part of AHA News since its launch in 2013. He oversees the weekly survivor series "Stories From the Heart" among other duties. He previously spent 20 years with The Associated Press, the last 13 as Texas Sports Editor. He's the author or co-author of seven books. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Michael Merschel, Staff Writer, joined AHA News in 2019. Previously, he worked for The Dallas Morning News, where he edited the Healthy Living section, books coverage and more. He won the Texas Institute of Letters' award for best middle-grade book and graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism.

Laura Williamson, Staff Writer, has written for AHA News since 2019. She began her career as a print journalist, covering health, local governments and education for four daily newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park.

Kayla Jackson Ferrari, Production Editor, joined the American Heart Association News staff in 2019. She previously trained biomedical scientists in professional development at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She earned her Master of Healthcare Administration from Texas Woman's University. 

Science and Medicine Advisors

Radhika Rajgopal Singh, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Science, Medicine and Health and Professional Membership, oversees science and medicine review at the American Heart Association. She joined the AHA in 2017. She has over two decades of experience in strategic planning, operations and performance management with diverse academic, public and nonprofit organizations, including Southern Methodist University and the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas.

Anne Leonard, M.P.H, B.S.N., R.N., CCRC, FAHA, National Senior Director, joined the AHA in 2007. Previously, she spent 25 years at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, conducting and executing clinical research in the neurosciences, with an emphasis on stroke. She earned her bachelor's degree from UT Health Science Center-San Antonio, and her Master’s from the UT Houston School of Public Health.  During this time, she was a 15-year volunteer for the American Heart Association. 

Paul St. Laurent, D.N.P., R.N., National Senior Director, joined the AHA in 2016. He has over 25 years of experience as an advanced practice nurse in clinical cardiovascular care. He has a Doctor of Nursing practice degree from Chatham University as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from the University of Southern Indiana.

Sally S. Wong, Ph.D., R.D., CDN, FAHA, National Director, joined the AHA in 2013 after a decade as clinical nutrition manager at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She also was a public health officer for the Nutrition and Dietetics Board in New York and provided nutrition consultation for the state's Office of Minority Health. She earned her nutrition master's and doctorate degrees from New York University. 

Prashant Nedungadi, B. Pharm, Ph.D., National VP, joined AHA in 2015. He has more than 15 years of academic research experience and has authored several peer-reviewed publications. He is a pharmacist and holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology/neuroscience. He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and as research/teaching faculty at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

Katherine A. Sheehan, Ph.D., Science and Medicine Advisor, joined AHA in 2014. Her Ph.D. is in Cell and Molecular Physiology from Loyola University Chicago. Katherine is a chemical engineer and worked with Gulf Oil Corp. before shifting to physiology. She has over 20 years of experience in basic cardiovascular research focused on the molecular mechanisms that regulate cellular level contractility of the heart. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and as teaching faculty at DePaul University, Chicago.

Barbara Entl, M.D., Science and Medicine Advisor. Before joining the AHA in 2020, she worked as a primary care physician providing comprehensive preventive and medical care for children and adults, infectious disease epidemiologist, and as a tribal health policy analyst connecting with clinical partners, CDC subject matter experts, and external partners to identify best practices and recommendations regarding the clinical care of infectious diseases for the Indian Peoples of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Maggie Eaton, Ph.D., F.N.P, R.N., Associate Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the AHA in 2022. She has over a decade of experience working as a pediatric nurse and family nurse practitioner in neurosurgery and urgent care. She earned her Ph.D. in nursing from Northeastern University and her master’s degree in nursing from Columbia University.

Gail Gannon, A.P.N., F.N.P.-C., Associate Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the American Heart Association in 2022. She has been a nurse for over 25 years, and an advanced practice practitioner for nearly 10 years. Gail has an extensive background in clinical research and critical care and has held several leadership roles at esteemed academic medical centers. She has a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from National Louis University, and a Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner degree from DePaul University.  

Mu Huang, Ph.D., D.P.T., Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the AHA in 2022. He was previously a clinician scientist at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was on faculty in the Department of Applied Clinical Research. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications of original research. Mu holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physiology from Southern Methodist University, a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Southern California, and a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Advisors for Science and Health Advancement

Comilla Sasson, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President for Science & Innovation for Emergency Cardiovascular Care, oversees science and medicine review at the American Heart Association. She also works in a Colorado emergency department and maintains appointments in the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado School of Medicine and as the Special Advisor to the Medical Advisory Panel for the Veterans Health Administration.

Amber Hoover, R.N., M.S.N., Advisor for Science and Health Advancement, joined AHA in 2016 and moved to the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2019. She has over 20 years of clinical experience in emergency, trauma, cardiac cath lab and quality nursing with a strong focus on process improvement and cardiac systems of care.

Becky Lehotzky, Ph.D., Advisor for Science and Health Advancement, first joined the AHA in 2013. She has more than 10 years of experience in medical writing and consulting on topics such as cardiovascular health and disease, oncology and basic science. She earned her doctoral degree in biological chemistry from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Melissa Mahgoub, Ph.D., Advisor for Science and Health Advancement, joined the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2019. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and has over 10 years of experience in academia as a preclinical researcher and scientific writer. She has worked as a postdoctoral researcher and served as a scientific mentor to graduate students at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Amber Rodriguez, Ph.D., Advisor for Science and Health Advancement, joined the AHA Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2014. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin, and her postdoctoral work was at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics.

Contributing Writers and Editors

Genaro C. Armas; Leslie Barker; Carolyn Bernhardt; Deborah Lynn Blumberg; Luis Campuzano; Lucien Chauvin; Thor Christensen; Rachel Crowell; Diane Daniel; James L. Fredrick; Lindsey Giardino; Emily Halnon; Jodi Helmer; Michelle Hiskey; Stefani Kopenec; Kat Long; Casey Morris; Michael Precker; Will Pry; Emily Rosenbaum; Karen Schmidt; Katherine Shaver; Joyce Tsai