American Heart Association News Staff

American Heart Association News is produced by a team of journalists who publish stories about heart disease, stroke, health and related issues. Stories are reviewed by science and medicine experts for accuracy.

The American Heart Association is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and sponsorships. American Heart Association 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].

Rogelio Aranda, Senior Editor and Writer, 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 American Heart Association 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 American Heart Association 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.

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 Association 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 Heart Association in 2007. Previously, she spent 25 years at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, conducting 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 Heart Association 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 American Heart Association 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 doctoral degrees from New York University.

Prashant Nedungadi, B.Pharm, Ph.D., National Vice President, joined the Heart Association 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 doctoral degree 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.

Barbara Entl, M.D., Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the Heart Association in 2020. Previously 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, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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.

Mu Huang, Ph.D., D.P.T., Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the Heart Association in 2022. He was previously a clinician-scientist at the University of Texas 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. He holds a doctorate in applied physiology from Southern Methodist University, a doctor of physical therapy degree from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Kayode Kuku, MBBS, Science and Medicine Advisor, joined the Heart Association in 2025. He has over 12 years of experience spanning clinical training and basic, clinical and translational cardiovascular research and has authored more than 50 peer reviewed original research publications. He earned his medical degree from Lagos State University College of Medicine, Nigeria, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and is completing his Ph.D. at the University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands.

Advisors for Science and Health Advancement

Henry Lee, M.D., National Senior Director, Resuscitation Science, joined the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2025. Previously, he served on Heart Association resuscitation guideline writing groups since 2018. He has served as faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University, and currently is a professor of pediatrics (neonatology) and public health at the University of California, San Diego.

Melissa Mahgoub, Ph.D., Senior Science and Health Advisor, joined the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2019. She holds a doctoral degree 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., Senior Science and Health Advisor, joined the American Heart Association 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.

Julie Sell, M.S.N., R.N., Science and Health Advisor, joined the Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2024. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a background in emergency nursing, clinical education and public health.

Jaylen I. Wright, Ph.D., Science and Health Advisor, joined the Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science Team in 2024. He has experience in clinical and community health education and research. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship training in cardiovascular epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center. Jaylen holds a doctorate and master of science degree in health behavior, counseling and health education from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology and sociology from Texas A&M University.

Contributing Writers and Editors

Genaro C. Armas; Leslie Barker; Carolyn Bernhardt; Deborah Lynn Blumberg; Luis Campuzano; Lucien Chauvin; Thor Christensen; Rachel Crowell; Diane Daniel; Maria Elizalde; 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; Laura Williamson