Dr. Hekman completed her BA in Biophysics and Spanish Literature at Johns Hopkins. She then chose to pursue medicine and completed her MD and PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Chicago, where she found Vascular Surgery. She completed her Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency at Northwestern University, including a post-doctoral research fellowship in the lab of Dr. Jason Wertheim, MD, PhD. There she discovered the role of autophagy in the longevity and health of endothelial cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. She joined faculty in Vascular Surgery at Emory and the Atlanta VA Healthcare System in 2021, where her lab focuses on generating patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells to produce personalized regenerative therapies for vascular disease.

Dr. Brewster's clinical practice is focused on general vascular surgery and peripheral arterial disease, and his affiliations include Emory University Hospital and serving as section chief of vascular surgery at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System.

As a surgeon-scientist, his joint affiliations with the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Wallace Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech/Emory have given him access to an exceptional pool of collaborators, and he has received a steady stream of various federal, foundation, and industry grants.

Dr. Brewster's laboratory focuses on investigations of the biomechanical mechanisms that contribute to pathologic vessel remodeling in peripheral vascular disease, develops regenerative strategies for use in ischemic tissue, and works to improve the function of patients who succumb to major amputation.

Dr. Keeling earned his medical degree at the University of Louisville in 2001, did his general surgery residency at the University of South Florida School of Medicine from 2001-2008, and completed his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Emory in 2011. Dr. Keeling directs the cardiothoracic surgery program at Grady Memorial Hospital and provides clinical service at Emory University Hospital Midtown. His clinical interests include reoperative cardiac surgery, valve repair and thoracic aortic pathology, and his research focuses on clinical trials as well as data-driven investigations of adult cardiac surgical sub-populations.