The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced Juan F. Granada, MD, has been appointed president and CEO on Monday, Sept. 11.

Granada, an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, joined CRF in 2007. He previously served at the executive director and chief innovation officer of the CRF Skirball Center for Innovation.

“Since its inception, CRF has played a major role in the rapid progress that has been made in interventional cardiology by establishing the safe use of new technologies and therapies for heart disease,” Granada said in a statement. “I am eager to take on this new role and work with my distinguished colleagues to ignite the next wave of innovation that will help doctors save and improve the quality of their patients’ lives.”

Granada has helped develop and validate several endovascular imaging and device technologies, according to CRF. He earned his medical degree at the Institute of Health Sciences in Medellin, Colombia, and completed his cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

“Juan’s professionalism, creativity and ‘can do’ mindset make him an exceptional individual for this position,” Gregg W. Stone, MD, CRF’s co-director of medical research and education, said in a statement. “His knowledge of interventional cardiovascular medicine from bench to bedside coupled with extensive expertise in medical innovation will propel CRF to new levels of achievement in research and education.”