Malissa Wood

Dr. Malissa Wood graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she received both her undergraduate and medical degrees. Dr. Wood fulfilled her internal and cardiology residencies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and she completed fellowships at Beth Israel and at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Malissa Wood’s professional focus involves the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease in women; she remains dedicated to raising awareness of heart disease, which is the number one killer of people in the United States.

As Co-Director of the Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital's Heart Center, Dr. Malissa Wood stands at the forefront of cardiovascular research. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is Harvard Medical School’s first and largest teaching hospital, with an annual research budget of nearly $600 million. The resources available at MGH enable pioneers like Dr. Malissa Wood to explore new ways to improve the cardiovascular health of the nation.

Dr. Malissa Wood has conducted and published numerous studies analyzing cardiovascular issues among a variety of demographics, from pregnant women to amateur and professional athletes. For example, Dr. Wood co-authored a report that found that the addition of electrocardiogram (ECG) testing to the customary medical history and physical assessment of young athletes might help to detect heart abnormalities that often cause sudden sports-related deaths.

Another demographic that Dr. Malissa Wood has investigated in her research is women with lower incomes. Among her other endeavors at MGH, Dr. Wood helped to establish the HAPPY (Heart Awareness and Prevention in Your Neighborhood) Heart program to study the best ways for preventing heart disease among underprivileged women in the Boston area. The program incorporated several initiatives to address the primary causes of heart disease, such as smoking, insufficient exercise, poor nutrition, and stress; it also paired the women with health coaches to assist them in their efforts to address these factors. Dr. Malissa Wood’s chief objective was to instill knowledge and provide the necessary tools to prevent heart disease based on the participants' individual risk factors.

Dr. Malissa Wood’s appearances on television programs such as The Today Show have helped to raise awareness a