Nausheen Akhter

Nausheen Akhter, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine (Cardiology) at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in Cardiac-Oncology to provide comprehensive cardiovascular care for cancer patients through screening and management of therapy-induced complications.

Her educational background includes:

• BA from Northwestern University (1997)
• MD from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2002)
• Internal Medicine Internship at Indiana University (2003)
• Internal Medicine Residency at Indiana University (2005)
• Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at University of Illinois (2008)
• Advanced Fellowship in Level III Echocardiography at Northwestern University (2009)

Dr. Akhter's research centers on Cardiac-Oncology, investigating cardiovascular complications from cancer therapies, with additional expertise in cardiac imaging, valvular heart disease, and heart disease in women. Her clinical work integrates screening protocols and management strategies for cancer therapy-related cardiovascular issues.

Her recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate concentrated focus on cardio-oncology mechanisms, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis, CAR T-cell therapy cardiotoxicity, and targeted therapy complications like ibrutinib-associated atrial fibrillation, establishing critical risk stratification frameworks and management protocols.

Key honors include:

• Northwestern Medicine Humanitarian Award (2025)
• Gold Humanism Honor Society (2024)
• Cardio-Oncology Gold Center of Excellence (2024)
• Multiple consecutive teaching awards (2019-2025)
• Fellowships in American College of Cardiology and American Society of Echocardiography

Dr. Akhter actively mentors cardiovascular disease fellows and internal medicine residents, evidenced by repeated teaching awards. She leads institutional initiatives including the Chicago City-wide Cardio-Oncology Rounds and serves on national committees addressing health equity in cardiovascular care.

She co-directs Northwestern's Cardio-Oncology program and chairs multi-institutional collaborations advancing clinical protocols through the Chicago City-wide Cardio-Oncology Rounds, integrating clinical care with translational research on cancer therapy cardiotoxicity.