Published on January 31, 2019
There’s nothing half-hearted about Marleen Irwin’s career as a certified cardiac device specialist.
Her contributions to combatting heart disease, one of Canada’s leading causes of death, include whittling the in-hospital stay for pacemaker surgery from seven days to day surgery and bringing in a crucial competency exam in cardiac pacing for allied health-care professionals and physicians.
A clinical researcher with the University of Alberta’s Heart Failure Etiology and Analysis Research Team, which is seeking improved heart disease therapies, she has earned accolades and awards for raising the bar in research, clinical care, teaching and management.
For her, every day is an opportunity to improve patient care, and she predicts that will never change.
— Cheryl Mahaffy