Mushabbar A. Syed, MD, his chief of Albany Medical Center’s Division of Cardiology; George E. Pataki Endowed Chair of Cardiology; and director of advanced cardiac imaging at Albany Medical College.

Dr. Syed specializes in general cardiology with special interest in coronary artery disease, valvular diseases, congestive heart failure, myopathies, and adult congenital heart disease. He has a particular interest in the use of cardiac MRI, CT, and echocardiography to aid in diagnosis and disease management. Cardiac imaging allows physicians to noninvasively examine the heart and its surrounding structures to evaluate its function and aid in the diagnosis and management of heart conditions.

“Dr. Syed’s expertise in advanced cardiac imaging, combined with our leading-edge imaging technology and highly specialized cardiac and radiological teams, presents tremendous opportunity to grow our cardiac imaging capabilities and opens the door to further education and research in the field of advanced cardiac imaging,” said Edward Philbin, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine. “This thoughtful collaboration among disciplines strengthens our ability to provide comprehensive, individualized care to each patient and further positions us as a leader in cardiac care.”

Dr. Syed comes from Loyola Medicine, an academic health system in the Chicago suburbs. He was the director of cardiovascular imaging at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. and program director of Stritch School of Medicine’s cardiovascular disease and advanced cardiovascular imaging fellowship programs; the latter he developed. Earlier in his career, he was the founding director of cardiovascular CT and MR imaging at the University of Kentucky and director of cardiac imaging at Emory University Hospital and The Emory Clinic in Atlanta.

A clinical and research mentor to dozens of medical students, residents and fellows, Dr. Syed has also served as a career coach to junior faculty. He looks forward to the educational, research, and faculty development opportunities available to him through the System and hopes to form pathways to enhance training in cardiac imaging so more patients can benefit.

“It’s an incredible honor to join such a talented and dedicated team to work together to expand and elevate the clinical, educational, and research programs of the Albany Med Health System,” Dr. Syed said. “I look forward to building on the System’s strong foundation and contributing to its tradition of excellence serving patients throughout our region.”

Dr. Syed serves on a System-wide cardiovascular steering committee comprised of cardiac leadership throughout the System, as well as care partners at Capital Cardiology Associates, aimed at guiding and overseeing resources, data, and quality, and fostering opportunities for collaboration and enhanced efficiency in cardiac care.

Dr. Syed completed a clinical and research fellowship in cardiovascular MRI at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. He was chief fellow of his cardiology fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where he also completed an internal medicine residency. He received his medical degree from King Edward Medical College at Punjab University in Pakistan.

An experienced clinical researcher, Dr. Syed also is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed articles or book chapters, three textbooks in cardiovascular MRI, and has served as an advisor, contributor, or moderator for numerous national and international scientific sessions. He is a member of several professional societies, including serving on national committees of the American College of Cardiology and chair of the education committee of the Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. He was founding member of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and the Association of Pakistani Descent Cardiologists of North America.