RWJUH and Rutgers RWJ Medical School Data Scientist and Cardiovascular Researcher Appointed to FDA Advisory Committee

(New Brunswick, NJ) – Naveena Yanamala, MS, PhD, has been appointed to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Patient Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC).

Dr. Yanamala, who is Director of the Center of Innovation at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, will serve as a Special Government Employee on the PEAC until July 2027. Dr. Yanamala also is an associate professor of Medicine and director of Data Science and Machine Learning Research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Rutgers RWJMS).

The FDA established the PEAC as the first and only advisory committee where all nine voting members, one non-voting industry representative and one voting consumer representative are patients, caregivers, and healthcare representatives. It was created to help assure that the needs and patient experiences are part of the FDA’s deliberations on complex issues involving regulation of patient use on medical devices.

PEAC brings patients, caregivers, patient organizations, and experts together for a broader discussion of important patient-related issues. These discussions support device innovation, development, evaluation, and access, and help the FDA meet its public health commitment to protect and promote public health.

Under Dr. Yanamala’s leadership, RWJUH and Rutgers RWJMS’ Center for Innovation provides an integrated platform for experts in cardiovascular sciences, imaging and engineering to collaborate in the development, translation and clinical implementation of cutting-edge technologies. The overarching aim is to drive the adoption of innovative digital health solutions and diagnostic tools to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in the 

community. The center’s focus is on developing partnerships and affiliations with other leading high-quality healthcare organizations and industry participants to develop a unique ‘industry-academia’ collaboration with a focus on digital heath solutions, imaging and therapies that foster implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled care.

“I am deeply honored to assume this role, one that prioritizes the inclusion of diverse patient perspectives in regulatory processes, ultimately fostering safer and more patient-centered innovations in healthcare,” said Dr. Yanamala. “My dual responsibilities, both within the cardiology service line and as a special representative to the FDA positioned me to leverage my experience effectively, providing valuable insights to steer optimal innovation and growth within our healthcare system.”

Partho Sengupta, MD, FACC, chief of the Division of Cardiology at RWJMS, and chief of Cardiology at RWJUH, added, “We are absolutely thrilled and immensely proud of Dr. Yanamala’s role, which not only advances the mission and vision of the division of cardiology and service line but also solidifies our position as thought leaders in innovation. Her contributions will now have an impact on healthcare transformation, not only within our healthcare system but also across the entire United States.”

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 640-bed academic medical center that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a nationally-ranked 2023-24 Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s health. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. Learn more at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick or www.bmsch.org

RWJUH has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence and being named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers. The RWJUH Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center has been recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association as meeting The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Advanced Certification. RWJUH has also earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification for Spine Surgery; The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Bariatric Services; and The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Hip and Knee Replacement services. The Joint Commission also awarded RWJUH a Gold Seal Certification as well as an Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation.

For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick

About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including the Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, and the Women’s Health Institute. The medical school has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 100 medical schools in the nation and No. 1 in the state for research and primary care.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility and the medical school’s principal affiliate, comprise one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. Clinical services are provided by more than 500 faculty physicians in 200+ specialties and subspecialties as part of Rutgers Health, the clinical arm of Rutgers University. To learn more about Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.rutgers.edu.

Contact: Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
(732) 937-8568