Rebecca Cogswell, MD, MED ’05 

Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota; Section Leader, Advanced Heart Failure Division; Medical Director, Interntaional Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry  

 

 

Rebecca J. Cogswell, MD, MED ’05 is a nationally recognized leader in advanced heart failure and mechanical circulatory support whose innovative research and compassionate care have transformed outcomes for patients with end-stage heart disease.

 

As section leader of advanced heart failure at the University of Minnesota and medical director of the International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry, Dr. Cogswell has established herself as one of the foremost experts in her field. Her groundbreaking work on pectoralis muscle assessment as a biomarker for outcomes in ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation has reshaped risk stratification, improving both patient selection and survival.  

 

Dr. Cogswell has also authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and served as principal investigator for pivotal clinical trials, including MOMENTUM 3 and ARIESHM3, which advanced the safety and efficacy of mechanical circulatory support devices. Her leadership extends to addressing inequities in care, notably through founding the Women in Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Group and leading research on equity in transplantation.  

 

A dedicated educator, Dr. Cogswell now directs the Advanced Heart Failure Fellowship, shaping the next generation of cardiologists. Colleagues highlight her rare ability to bring people together, whether celebrating milestones with peers from medical school or mentoring young physicians today. Internationally, she influences transplant policy and practice through her leadership of the global Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry. 

 

Dr. Cogswell’s preternatural gifts were evident early. While at Dartmouth, she earned several honors, including the Alpha Omega Alpha distinction and the American Medical Women’s Association Award. Her accomplishments since have earned recognition as a “Top Doctor” by Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine and the Clinical Excellence Honor from the University of Minnesota. 

 

What truly distinguishes Dr. Cogswell is her unwavering dedication to patients and the “joie de vivre” those who know her profess she brings to her work. From her early inspiration watching her father navigate a heart transplant during her first year of medical school to her current position as a world leader in the field, Dr. Cogswell embodies the best of Dartmouth medicine: scientific excellence coupled with deep compassion for those she serves.  

 

 

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