Dr. Yingnan Zhang Honored with Young Investigator Awards at Heart Rhythm 2025 for Digital Twin Cardiac Research
Dr. Yingnan (Nancy) Zhang, a researcher from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Natalia Trayanova, has received distinguished recognition at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Scientific Sessions 2025. She was awarded the highly competitive SADS Foundation Clinical Category Young Investigator Award and was also honored as one of the three finalists in the HRS Young Investigator Award clinical category.
The SADS Foundation Courts K. Cleveland, Jr. Young Investigator Award honors outstanding early-career researchers advancing knowledge in genetic heart diseases that predispose individuals to sudden cardiac death. Dr. Zhang’s selection for this award highlights her impactful contributions to precision medicine in genetic heart disease and clinical electrophysiology. More information about the SADS YIA can be found on the SADS Foundation website ( https://x.com/SADSFoundation/status/1916162757654987173 ).
The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Young Investigator Awards (YIA) are highly coveted honors that encourage and recognize the work of emerging physicians and scientists in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology. Selection as a finalist in the clinical research category underscores the national and international significance, originality, and scientific excellence of Dr. Zhang’s work. The competitive process includes a rigorous peer review by senior experts and culminates in presentations at the annual HRS Scientific Sessions.
On April 25th, Dr. Zhang presented her award-winning study, “Genotype-specific Digital Twins for Accurate Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) Ablation Targeting in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC).” ARVC is an inherited heart muscle disease that predominantly affects young, athletic individuals, and poses unique clinical challenges due to its complex VT mechanisms and under-explored pathophysiology. Since 2021, Dr. Zhang has led the development of personalized digital twin heart models for ARVC patients by integrating clinical imaging with patient-specific genetic data. These models simulate both structural heart changes and electrical remodeling driven by pathogenic variants, enabling non-invasive, pre-procedural prediction of VT circuits and ablation targets. Dr. Zhang’s work pushes the boundaries of current ARVC management by transforming how ablation therapy is planned and delivered. Her innovative approach not only deepens our understanding of disease mechanisms but also empowers clinicians to perform more targeted and effective interventions—reducing lesion size and potentially preventing VT recurrence.
