Dr. Mario Deng, a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been named by Forbes magazine as one of 27 cardiologists recognized as an exemplary physician in his field. Forbes generated the list through a partnership with Grand Rounds, a company that connects patients with recommended physicians using a big data matching algorithm.

Deng is an internationally recognized leader in heart transplant, mechanical circulatory support and the management of advanced heart failure. His research interests focus on the survival and quality-of-life benefit offered by heart transplantation, mechanical circulatory support and other treatment options. Deng has been a pioneer in translating advances in basic science research into treatments for advanced heart failure, particularly addressing the interactions between the cardiovascular and immune systems. He is a co-developer of AlloMap, a non-invasive blood test for heart transplant patients, and a co-inventor of MyLeukoMap, an experimental genomic blood test to predict outcomes after surgery for advance heart failure patients.

Together with Federica Raia, assistant professor in residence in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Deng developed the relational medicine theory with the core concept of the “RelationalAct” to improve the understanding and practice of modern medicine.

Learn more about the cardiovascular research theme at UCLA.