Dr. Catherine Otto is a preeminent cardiologist and internationally recognized authority on valvular heart disease and structural cardiac conditions. She currently holds the prestigious J. Ward Kennedy-Hamilton Endowed Chair in Cardiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she serves as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Heart Valve Clinic. Dr. Otto completed her medical education at the University of Washington in 1979 following undergraduate studies at Reed College, and completed her internal medicine residency at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center from 1979 to 1982. Her specialized cardiology fellowship was undertaken at the University of Washington from 1982 to 1985, establishing the foundation for her distinguished career in cardiovascular medicine.
Dr. Otto's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the understanding of calcific aortic valve disease, demonstrating that this condition may be amenable to medical therapy rather than representing an inevitable consequence of aging. Her work has established critical connections between cellular mechanisms and clinical manifestations of valve disease, significantly advancing prevention and treatment strategies for conditions including aortic stenosis, Marfan syndrome, and bicuspid aortic valve disease. As the author of definitive textbooks such as Valvular Heart Disease and Textbook of Clinical Echocardiography, she has shaped the education and clinical practice of cardiologists worldwide. Dr. Otto's research program continues to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of valve disease while validating noninvasive measures of disease severity and defining clinical risk factors for disease progression.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Otto serves as Editor-in-Chief of Heart, the official journal of the British Cardiovascular Society, a position she assumed in January 2014, significantly influencing the dissemination of cardiovascular research globally. She received the American College of Cardiology's Distinguished Scientist Award in the Clinical Domain in 2011, recognizing her exceptional contributions to understanding and managing structural heart diseases. Dr. Otto maintains a patient-centered clinical practice focused on knowledge-based decision-making using established national guidelines while actively involving patients in their care decisions. Her ongoing work continues to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application, advancing the field of valvular heart disease and improving outcomes for patients with complex structural cardiac conditions.
