Stella Van Praagh was a pediatric cardiologist and pathologist at Children's Hospital Boston. She was internationally known for her contributions to the pathology of congenital heart disease.[1][2][3]
Early life
Stella Van Praagh was born in Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.[1] She graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Athens in 1952 and undertook further training in pediatric cardiology at Johns Hopkins where she worked with Helen Taussig.[2]
Career
In 1962, she moved to Children's Hospital of Buffalo as a pediatric cardiologist and research associate. There, she met Richard Van Praagh, and the two were married shortly afterwards, beginning a lifelong personal and professional partnership.[1] In 1965, both Van Praaghs moved to Boston Children's Hospital where they worked until their retirements in 2002.[1][2]
Accomplishments
Stella and Richard Van Praagh were world-renowned pediatric cardiologists and pathologists. They proposed a new approach to formalize anatomic descriptions of congenital heart disease, which forms the basis of much of the current standard understanding.[3] Specific examples include Truncus Arteriosus,[4] sinus venosus atrial septal defect,[5] and heterotaxy syndrome.[6]
Awards
Society for Cardiovascular Pathology Distinguished Achievement Award, 1999 [3]
