Dinesh Kalra

Dr. Dinesh Kalra, MD, FACC, FAHA, FSCCT, FSCMR, FNLA, is a cardiologist and academic leader who serves as an endowed professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. With more than three decades of experience in cardiovascular medicine, Kalra is recognized for his expertise in multimodality cardiac imaging, preventive cardiology, and lipidology. He received his medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, with additional training at Weill-Cornell New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Kalra's clinical practice encompasses cardiac CT and MRI, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and advanced cardiac imaging in infiltrative cardiomyopathies such as amyloidosis and Fabry disease. He is board-certified in cardiology, echocardiography, CT, cardiac MRI, lipidology, and nuclear cardiology, providing integrated care for complex cardiovascular conditions. His clinical interests include coronary artery atherosclerosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, and sarcoid. Kalra is known for his work in coronary CT and research on plaque regression in high-risk individuals, and he is frequently invited to lecture nationally and internationally.

In addition to his clinical work, Kalra holds leadership roles in the cardiovascular medicine community. He serves as chair of the Quality Assurance Committee for Cardiology, a member of the University Medical Center Board of Directors, co-director of the Heart Board for the Cardiovascular Service Line, and vice chair for quality in the Department of Medicine at the University of Louisville. He holds the endowed Jewish Hospital Cardiovascular Innovation Institute Scientific Director Chair in Medicine. Kalra is active in professional societies such as the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, the Society for Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and the National Lipid Association, where he serves on the executive board. He is also chair-elect of the American College of Cardiology Board of Governors.

Kalra's contributions to cardiovascular science have been recognized with the American College of Cardiology Distinguished Educator Award and the Kentucky Medical Association Educational Achievement Award. His research, which includes more than 100 publications and over 1,600 citations, addresses topics such as artificial intelligence in coronary artery calcium scoring, RNA therapies for hypertension, and the role of lipoprotein(a) in cardiovascular disease. Kalra was appointed editor-in-chief of "JACC: Advances," the American College of Cardiology's open-access, peer-reviewed journal. In this role, he has expanded the journal's focus to include cardiometabolic disease, precision medicine, wearable technologies, and data science, while supporting diversity and global engagement in cardiovascular research.