Board of Directors
Heart Trust is a small organization, composed entirely of volunteers. We are very proud of our members and of the combined expertise we have gathered. Our Board of Directors is primarily medical, with the exception of the President of the organization, Shereen Abdel-Meguid.
Board of Directors
-
Shereen Abdel-Meguid President and Treasurer, Board of Directors, Heart Trust, Inc. Shereen began her professional career in international banking, specializing in the Middle East and Africa. She left banking to focus on raising her three daughters. In 1998, she was asked to participate in a pediatric cardiac mission to Guatemala with Heart Care International (HCI), where she discovered her passion for helping children suffering from congenital heart defects. She was later appointed Executive Director and a Member of the Board of Directors of HCI. After eight rewarding years with HCI, she resigned to found Heart Trust, Inc., to focus on organizing smaller scale medical missions around the world which concentrate on providing training for local medical professionals. Since beginning her work helping children with congenital heart defects, Shereen has led almost 70 cardiac missions in developing countries and an additional mission serving burn victims in Tanzania. She's grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Heart Trust team as they work together to help improve healthcare for impoverished children overseas. https://offthecurb.co/2017/06/01/profile-shereen-abdel-meguid-heart-trust-founder/#more-511
-
Ellen Moquete, R.N. Secretary, Board of Directors, Heart Trust,Inc. Ellen is the Senior Director of Clinical Trial Operations, International Center for Health Outcomes and Innovation Research,Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is also a National Trial Manager of the Network for Cardiothoracic Surgical Investigations in Cardiovascular Medicine. Ellen worked as a clinical nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York for twenty-four years before beginning her work in the field of research in 2006. While at New York Presbyterian, she worked in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, the Cardiac ICU, Interventional Cardiology Center and the Pediatric Cardiology Interventional Catheterization Laboratory/Diagnostic and Imaging Suite. She began generously volunteering her time to international cardiac medical missions in 1995. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-moquete-6ba23410/
-
Aldo Castañeda, M.D., Ph.D. (Non-Active) Director, Board of Directors, Heart Trust, Inc. Dr. Aldo Castañeda has had a highly successful career as a world renowned pediatric cardiac surgeon. He is often referred to as the 'grandfather of pediatric cardiac surgery' or the father of neonatal corrective surgery.' After spending part of his childhood in Nazi controlled Germany, he later studied medicine in Guatemala. His thesis on open heart surgery led him to the University of Minnesota, where he joined the surgical research team under the leadership of Prof. Owen Wangensteen. After receiving his PhD in both physiology and experimental surgery at the University of Minnesota, he completed his surgical training and joined the faculty. He became a Professor of Surgery in 1970. In 1972, he was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief at Boston Children's Hospital, where he remained until his "retirement" in 1994. He served as a teacher, mentor and role model for dozens of adult and pediatric cardiac surgeons who were fortunate enough to train under him during his tenure at Boston. In 1997, after 3 years of developing a pediatric cardiac surgery clinic in Switzerland, Aldo returned to Guatemala City at the age of 67. There he created Unidad de Cirugia Cardiovascular de Guatemala (UNICAR), the first center to treat congenital heart defects in Guatemala. He trained the local team and worked tirelessly to fundraise so that all children would have access to care regardless of their ability to pay. UNICAR has treated over 5,000 children in need, most of them impoverished, and Aldo and his Guatemalan team have continued to train surgeons who are practicing all over the world. Aldo retired two years ago but he continues to visit the center weekly. Aldo Castañeda has made a profound impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children, and his legacy will continue to benefit thousands thanks to his stellar standards and dedication to education
-
David Chan, M.D. Director, Board of Directors, Heart Trust, Inc. Dr. David Chan is presently Medical Director of Children’s Service Line at Carle Foundation Hospital. He was previously Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at University of Illinois Chicago. He was Director of Electrophysiology at Columbus Children's Hospital (currently Nationwide Children's Hospital) from 1998 to 2009. David has completed training at the Mayo Clinic, Case Western University and the Ohio State University. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics. His clinical interest is in patients with Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Electrophysiology. David's first overseas mission trip was in 1999 to Lima, Peru and he has continued to generously volunteer his time to medical missions since then. https://carle.org/providers/details?ID=2121
-
Mark Galantowicz, M.D. Director, Board of Directors, Heart Trust, Inc. Dr. Mark Galantowicz is the Chief of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Co-Director of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. He is also a Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Mark was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct molecular biology research at The University of Geneva, Switzerland. He later received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and completed his surgical training, including fellowships in adult and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. His clinical interests lie in the areas of surgical treatment and repair of newborns with congenital heart defects and cardiopulmonary transplantation. His combined talent and expertise extends beyond borders as he performs life-saving surgeries on children with heart defects in developing countries. Mark has generously volunteered his time to international surgical missions every year since his first mission in 1994. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/find-a-doctor/profiles/mark-e-galantowicz
In Memoriam
Dr. Mark Boucek (4/29/1949-2/26/2009)
Mark M. Boucek was an extraordinary individual and physician. He was a highly skilled pediatric cardiologist, with a specialty and passion for interventional cardiology. Throughout his career, he was responsible for saving countless children with his expertise. He selflessly participated in frequent humanitarian cardiac missions to Guatemala, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Not only did he touch the lives of the families and children he cared for, but Mark left a permanent imprint on all of us who knew him. He raised the bar for all of us. Being the "cowboy" that he was, he fought a tough battle with pancreatic cancer before succumbing on February 6, 2009. Among many family and friends who loved him, he was survived by his wife Lauri, sons Jack and Matt, and daughter Dana. Not only does his legacy live on in his children but also the many children who are living healthy, happy lives, thanks to him. We will always miss Mark's brilliance, quiet humor and great wit, personality and his great big heart.
