Q&A with Emily Backes, MD, MA, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology
Hometown: Marshalltown, Iowa
Educational/professional background: My undergraduate degree is from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. I also earned an MA in teaching from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. For the four years between those degrees and medical school, I taught high school science. I was in inner-city Baltimore with Teach For America for two years, and in Fort Worth, Texas, for two years. I completed my MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. My pediatric residency was with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, followed by cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Previous position (title, institution): Assistant Professor, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri
What is your field of research or area of clinical care, and how did you get into it? I work in Pediatric Electrophysiology. It’s the best area of medicine, in my opinion, because most of our patients are healthy and active, but they happen to have a very disruptive, sometimes life-threatening arrhythmia. Through a safe and effective same-day procedure (an ablation), we can eliminate their risk of sudden cardiac death. I like to remind the surgeons and interventional cardiologists that while they palliate heart disease, I can cure it.
How would you describe your work to a 5-year-old? My job is like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Sometimes people’s hearts beat too fast, and sometimes they beat too slow. I help make their hearts beat just right.
What attracted you to UW–Madison? I loved living in Wisconsin during residency and have always wanted to move back. When the opportunity came up to join an incredible team in Madison, I couldn’t pass it up!
What is your favorite thing to do in Madison? Everything is new right now, so I am exploring all the options for outdoor activities and trying different restaurants. Recommendations welcome!
What’s one thing you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? Dr. Katherine Berry Richardson said, “Skill cannot take the place of sympathy and understanding, for science without heart is ugly and pitiless.” I hope they see the profound impact we can have through both empathy and skill.
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties? The first successful congenital heart surgery was the PDA ligation in 1938. It was performed by a 33-year-old chief resident, Dr. Robert Gross, at Boston Children’s Hospital. His superior, Dr. William Ladd, refused to give him permission to do the procedure, so Dr. Gross waited until Dr. Ladd went on summer vacation, and then successfully performed the procedure on a 7-year-old girl. Even though it was successful, Dr. Ladd was apparently furious when he returned to work and found out.
The field of pediatric cardiology was founded by a woman, Dr. Helen Taussig. The field of congenital heart surgery for cyanotic heart disease was pioneered by a Black man, Vivien Thomas, who had only a high school degree. Both were at Hopkins in the 1940s. Dr. Taussig approached Dr. Alfred Blalock, who was chief of surgery, about finding a solution for “blue babies.” Dr. Blalock charged his lab assistant, Vivien Thomas, with the task. Thomas tested the procedure he developed approximately 200 times on dogs. When the first BTT (Blalock-Taussig-Thomas) shunt was performed on a child, Vivien Thomas stood beside Dr. Blalock and talked him through the entire procedure. Vivien Thomas went on to instruct several prominent surgeons in the procedure. We still use a modified BTT shunt in surgeries for cyanotic heart disease today. Thomas was later awarded an honorary doctorate.
What are some of your hobbies and other interests? Traveling (France awaits in June), running (hot take: a 10K is the perfect race distance), cycling (specifically, RAGBRAI – who can say no to a bar crawl on a bike?), reading (relatively recent favorites: The Covenant of Water, All the Colors of the Dark), live music (upcoming concerts: Florence + the Machine – for me, Bilmuri – for my husband), and spending time with our six nephews (ages 3 months to 12 years, who are also coming to France. Wish us luck!).