Lauren Gray Gilstrap, MD, MPH, was a renowned cardiologist and researcher who specialized in advanced heart disease and cardiac transplant. She was a professor at the Geisel School of Medicine and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. She also served as the chief of the Advanced Heart Disease and Transplant Cardiology program at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. She was widely respected and admired by her colleagues, patients, and loved ones for her academic excellence, clinical expertise, compassion, and energy.
How did Lauren Gilstrap die?
On October 21, 2022, Gilstrap passed away unexpectedly at the age of 38. Her death was announced by her hospital in a Twitter post. The cause of her death has not been disclosed to the public. According to TCTMD, she was driving a pickup truck when it struck a tree near her home on October 5th. She did not survive the crash and died at the scene of the accident. The authorities are still investigating the matter.
What were Lauren Gilstrap’s achievements?
Gilstrap was born on November 5, 1983, in Marshall, Texas. She graduated as the valedictorian of her high school and went on to become a proud Texas Longhorn. She earned her B.A. in Plan II Honors and B.B.A. Business Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin. She then pursued her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, where she graduated with honors. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and her fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She also obtained her Master of Public Health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Gilstrap joined DHMC in 2018 as an assistant professor of medicine and of The Dartmouth Institute. She became the chief of the Advanced Heart Disease and Transplant Cardiology program in 2021. She was an expert in heart failure, cardiac transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiogenic shock. She was also a prolific researcher who published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals such as JAMA Cardiology, Circulation, and Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. She received several awards and grants for her research, including the American Heart Association Career Development Award and the National Institutes of Health K23 Career Development Award.
Gilstrap was also a passionate teacher and mentor who trained many medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty members. She was involved in several national and international committees and organizations related to cardiology, such as the American College of Cardiology, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and the Heart Failure Society of America.
How is Lauren Gilstrap remembered?
Gilstrap’s sudden death has left a huge void in the cardiology community and beyond. She is remembered as a brilliant physician-scientist who made significant contributions to the field of advanced heart disease and transplant cardiology. She is also remembered as a kind and caring person who touched many lives with her compassion and enthusiasm.
Many of her colleagues and friends have expressed their grief and condolences on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. They have shared their memories and tributes to Gilstrap, highlighting her achievements, personality, and legacy.
Some examples of these messages are:
- “Lauren Gilstrap was one of my closest friends from medical school – she was brilliant, funny, kind-hearted, driven – everything you would want in a friend or colleague. I am heartbroken by this news.” – Dr. Jennifer Chee, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
- “Lauren Gilstrap was an amazing person [and] a passionate teacher. She just had this soft spot for patients, and I think we’ll never get the chance to know how much she could have changed patient’s lives and our lives.” – [Dr. Donna Polk], a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
- “Lauren Gilstrap was one of those rare individuals who excelled at everything she did – clinician, researcher, educator, leader – but more importantly she was a wonderful human being who cared deeply about others.” – [Dr. Mark Creager], the director of the Heart and Vascular Center at DHMC.
Gilstrap is survived by her wife Janet Milley and their two children Katelyn and David. She is also survived by her parents Sherry and Rodney Gilstrap, her brother Stephen Gilstrap, her sister-in-law Jessica Gilstrap, and her two nieces Emma and Lily Gilstrap.
Gilstrap’s family has requested that donations in her memory be made to the [Lauren Gray Gilstrap Memorial Fund] at DHMC or to any charity of one’s choice.
