Nasser Lakkis, M.Sc., M.D., is appointed as Chief of Cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wayne State University and Wayne Health

Wayne Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Nasser Lakkis, M.Sc., M.D., as a professor and Chief of Cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wayne State University and Wayne Health.

Dr. Lakkis graduated from the American University of Beirut, with a combined Master of Science and Medical Doctor degree in 1990.  Subsequently, he joined Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas where he completed a residency in Internal Medicine, followed by a fellowship in General Cardiology, and advanced Interventional Cardiology. During his fellowship, he was awarded the best junior fellow, best graduating fellow and the Richard Van Reet Awards.  He began his academic career at Baylor College of Medicine at the Assistant Professor level in 1997 and rose up the ranks of academia to the level of full Professor in 2006. He served as the Program Director for Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology Fellowship programs at Baylor College of Medicine for over 15 years.

Before joining Wayne State, Dr. Lakkis was Chief of Cardiology at Ben Taub General Hospital (since 2002), and the Temple and Spencer Chair in Cardiology.  His primary interests as a Clinical Cardiologist are percutaneous therapy for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and studies on platelet function as it pertains to acute coronary syndrome and percutaneous interventions.

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Lakkis has been extensively involved in the education of students, residents and fellows at Baylor College of Medicine.  He received the Award for Excellence in Teaching given by the fellows in both the cardiovascular diseases and Interventional Cardiology programs on yearly bases.  The award is now named after him.  He also received the Fulbright and Jaworski Faculty Excellence Award and elected to the Academy of Distinguished Educators, the Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology and the Master Clinician Lifetime Award from Baylor College of Medicine.  Last year he was inducted to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Society for life.

Finally, Dr. Lakkis spearheaded multiple educational and citywide patient programs which led into recognition by the Houstonia Magazine as top cardiologist in Houston and by the Castle Connoly List of top doctors in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

We would also like to thank Luis Afonso, MD, professor and Fellowship Program Director, for graciously serving as an interim chief for the cardiology division for the past years. Dr. Afonso led the division during challenging times, providing outstanding patient care  and world-class medical education to our students, residents, and fellows. His leadership and dedication are greatly appreciated.