R. David Anderson, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI

My name is R. David Anderson, MD, MS, FACC, FSCAI, and I am a professor of medicine in the University of Florida Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the director of interventional cardiology and cardiac catheterization. Most call me Dave, but some prefer to call me R. David. Prior to joining UF Health, I worked in the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Division of Cardiology in the 2000s.

I received my medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1990. Then, I completed an internship followed by residency at the University of Maryland Hospital. During my residency, I received the title of chief resident in the department of medicine. Afterward, I completed a fellowship at Duke University Medical Center.

I was drawn to medicine by the idea of trying to help people in any way possible. If you listen, everyone has a story, and I have benefitted the most from getting to know my patients’ stories. I want my patients to know that I will listen, always have their best interest in mind and would never offer them a treatment or procedure without a reasonable expectation of it helping them. I have had a career that has been satisfying in so many ways. I feel lucky to have helped build a successful interventional cardiology program at UF Health and am grateful for my partners and their superb care of patients. I am perhaps most proud to have been involved in the successful training of nearly 50 interventional cardiologists over the years. I have been lucky to receive teaching accolades over the years, but Master Clinician and the 2022 Exemplary Teacher awards are most appreciated.

I have written numerous abstracts on coronary vascular dysfunction and other heart diseases, and I have two patents — the auto perfusion dilatation catheter and a new rapid exchange/auto perfusion angioplasty balloon catheter. My research has focused on the use of stem cells to treat and improve heart disease, and I have been very involved in the study of coronary microvascular disease. Recently, my research has expanded to include structural heart disease, particularly the study of transcatheter therapy for valvular heart disease.

Outside of work, I try to spend as much of my free time as possible with my kids, who are mostly grown. They are all successful, and that is extremely gratifying. I also spend a lot of time in triathlons and have completed several Ironman distance events, even recently placing second at Ironman Florida.