Southwest Amyloidosis Network (SWAN) is a group of like-minded practitioners who want to expand the understanding and practices regarding amyloidosis within the medical community and the public. These practitioners developed an annual conference to meet their vision. Events include cardiology, primary care, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics radiology, hematology and Allied health professions.
Mission Statement
To increase Amyloidosis awareness in patients and the medical community in the Southwestern United States
Vision & Values
-
Clinicians will be empowered with the latest knowledge and skills on amyloidosis, with a focus on transthyretin amyloid, to enable them to provide the best healthcare to their patients.
-
Patients will be connected to healthcare experts in their communities.
-
Researchers will find new collaborators and communicate the state of amyloid science
History
In August of 2022, Dr. Sandesh Dev, a local cardiologist working at Arizona State University (ASU) in the Complex Adaptive Systems office had an idea for an event focused on amyloidosis, a rapidly emerging topic that intersects cardiovascular and neurologic conditions, aging, and multispecialty care.
This is a rare disease that has been gaining national attention over recent years but is still unheard of in many Arizona medical communities. The goal became simple, educate on amyloidosis.
After extensive research and discussions with other physicians, the most effective way was to host a meeting, invite medical providers to learn, discuss and share what was being done to identify, diagnose, treat and support patients with amyloidosis, not just in Arizona, but in the U.S.
This emerging issue requires new models of diagnosis, disease staging, and therapy. The complex underlying molecular biology and multi-organ effects do not exist within traditional hospital departments, requiring the integration of specialty expertise in cardiology, imaging, pathology, neurology, gastroenterology, interventional cardiology, and genetics.
The conference’s attendance has steadily increased since 2023 reaching ASU’s venue capacity in 2026. In turn, SWAN’s Steering Committee decided that two things were needed to continue to expand the reach of the conference. Expand SWAN to be the Southwest Amyloidosis Network that includes the neighboring southwest US states and develop methods to align with the expansion. This will assist with program development of the annual conference and provides the ability to continue to grow from an Arizona focused conference to a regional conference.
Fiscal Sponsor
Community Initiatives Organization (CI) accepted SWAN as a project within their 501c3 organization. Within CI’s structure, the Project Director, Sandesh Dev, oversees the entire project while the Advisory Committee oversees the Project Director and his/her expenses that are outside the expenses of the project.
Advisory Committee
Chair: Dr. Faizi A. Jamal is an associate clinical professor in the department of medicine at the City of Hope National Medical Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles County. Dr. Jamal completed his medical degree at the University of California, Irvine, and then pursued internal medicine training and cardiology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He served on faculty at Northwestern for several years, before returning to California in 2017. Since 2020, he has served as the Division Chief of Cardiology at City of Hope, as well as the director of their echo lab. He is the co-director of the Multidisciplinary Amyloidosis Clinic, founded in 2025. His research focuses on the intersection of echocardiography and cardiac amyloidosis.
​
Dr. Nimit Agarwal is a board-certified geriatrician, educator, and researcher serving as Division Chief of Geriatric Medicine and Program Director of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. He leads innovative programs integrating geriatrics into cardiovascular, orthopedic, trauma, and hospital medicine care. His work focuses on age-friendly health systems, frailty, delirium prevention, mobility, and patient-centered care for older adults. Dr. Agarwal is advancing the use of artificial intelligence in geriatrics through technologies designed to improve outcomes and support clinical decision-making. He is nationally recognized for his leadership in improving care for older adults across health systems.
Shirin Doroudgar, PhD is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and the Translational Cardiovascular Research Center (TCRC). Her research program utilizes integrative approaches from molecular and organellar to cellular and organismal levels to examine the dynamics of the protein homeostasis network in health and disease. The Doroudgar Lab’s current focus is on studies of cellular stress responses that underlie the dynamic remodeling of the cardiac myocyte proteome and secretome.
​
Dr. Julie Khoury is a board-certified neurologist and assistant professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic–Arizona, practicing in Phoenix, AZ. She specializes in neuromuscular medicine and clinical neurophysiology, with a focus on diagnosing and treating disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. She uses electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies, and tilt table testing to diagnose and monitor neurological conditions and often coordinates care with rehabilitation specialists. She is active in professional organizations such as the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine and the Oregon Medical Association.
​
Isabelle Lousada is an American patient advocate, nonprofit leader, and CEO of the Amyloidosis Research Consortium (ARC), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing awareness, science, and treatment for amyloid diseases. Originally trained as an architect, she refocused her career after surviving an ultra-rare, progressive, and fatal condition — AL amyloidosis — in her early thirties.
​
​
Michael Rosenzweig, MD, MS is a hematologist‑oncologist at City of Hope, where he serves as Chief of the Division of Multiple Myeloma and Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. He joined City of Hope in 2011 and has become a central figure in the care and research of multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. He leads the Amyloidosis Program at City of Hope and works closely with cardiology, nephrology, and neurology to manage complex multisystem disease.
​
​
​
Project Director: Dr. Sandesh Dev, MD, MS is a cardiologist based in Phoenix, AZ, with over 20 years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. Dev specializes in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology & Cardiovascular Disease. He is affiliated with the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System.