Adriana Carolina Prada-Ruiz, MD
- Associate Professor, Pediatric Cardiology
- Medical Co-Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant and Heart Failure Program
- Medical Director, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program
Contact
Adriana Carolina Prada-Ruiz, MD713-486-6755
713-500-5751 fax
Pediatric Cardiology Clinic
713-486-6755
Biography
Adriana Carolina Prada Ruiz, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and an attending physician at the Children’s Heart Institute (CHI) at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. A dual board-certified pediatric cardiologist with advanced training in heart failure, ventricular assist devices (VAD), and heart transplantation, Dr. Prada Ruiz is recognized nationally for her expertise in the care of children with complex heart disease, advanced heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension.
Dr. Prada Ruiz completed her medical degree at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia, followed by residency and fellowship training in Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology, and advanced Heart Failure/Transplant at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She subsequently held faculty and leadership positions at the Cleveland Clinic and the Nemours Cardiac Center before joining UTHealth Houston in 2021. She currently serves as medical co-director of Pediatric Heart Transplant, director of VAD, and medical director of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension at the Children’s Heart Institute. In these roles, she leads multidisciplinary teams, oversees complex inpatient and outpatient care, and helps advance quality-improvement initiatives across heart failure, transplant, and mechanical circulatory support programs.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Prada Ruiz is also the Program Director for the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program at McGovern Medical School, directing training across intensive care, advanced heart failure, catheterization, electrophysiology, and fetal cardiology. She supervises fellows, residents, and medical students in both inpatient and outpatient clinical settings and leads several recurring conferences focused on clinical review, quality, and systems improvement.
Dr. Prada Ruiz is an active clinical researcher with a portfolio spanning pediatric myocarditis, heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, pulmonary hypertension, and transplant outcomes. She has authored peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, and numerous abstracts presented at leading national and international meetings, including the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), American Heart Association (AHA), and Pediatric Heart Transplant Society (PHTS). She is a member of several major professional societies, including ISHLT, the American Heart Association, and ACTION (Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network). Her work continues to contribute to improving survival, quality of life, and long-term outcomes for children with advanced and complex cardiac conditions.
Education
- Doctor of Medicine
- Javeriana University School of Medicine, Bogotá, Colombia
- Fellowship
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
- Residency
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Areas of Interest
Clinical Interests
Ventricular assist devices (VAD)
Pediatric pulmonary hypertension
Intensive care
Advanced heart failure
Catheterization
Electrophysiology
Fetal cardiology
Research Interests
Pediatric myocarditis
Heart failure
Mechanical circulatory support
Pulmonary hypertension
Transplant outcomes
Publications
Rapid Growth of Left Atrial Thrombus in a Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipient. Qais Alloah, MD; Glenn Pelletier, MD, Adriana C. Prada-Ruiz, MD; Takeshi Tsuda, MD. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2021, ISSN 0003-4975,
Echocardiographic assessment of mechanical circulatory support and heart transplant. Prada-Ruiz AC, Baker-Smith C, Beaty C, Matoq A, Pelletier G, Pizarro C, et al.. Progress in Pediatric Cardiology. 2020:101272.
Outcomes of Myocarditis in Patients with Normal Left Ventricular Systolic Function on Admission. Spencer B. Barfuss, Ryan Butts, Kenneth R. Knecht, Adriana Prada-Ruiz & Ashwin K. Lal .Pediatric Cardiology volume 40, pages1171–1174(2019)
Recognition and Management of Preclinical Cardiomyopathies in Children: Special Focus on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity. Takeshi Tsuda, MD, FAAP, FACC, Rami Kharouf, MD, FACC, Adriana C. Prada-Ruiz, MD, and Jeanne M. Baffa, MD . Journal of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery 3(2): 63-79 (2019)
Characteristics of Clinically Diagnosed Pediatric Myocarditis in a Contemporary Multi-Center Cohort. Ryan J. Butts, Gerard J. Boyle, Shriprasad R. Deshpande, Katheryn Gambetta, Kenneth R. Knecht, Carolina A. Prada-Ruiz, Marc E. Richmond, Shawn C. West & Ashwin K. Lal. Pediatric Cardiology volume 38, pages1175–1182(2017)
Abstract 13130: The Fontan Immunophenotype and Post-Transplant Outcomes in Children: A Multi-Institutional Study. Benjamin S Mantell, Estela Azeka, Ryan S Cantor, Waldemar F Carlo, Maryanne Chrisant, John C Dykes, Timothy M Hoffman, James K Kirklin, Devin Koehl, Thomas J L’Ecuyer, Jennie M McAllister, Adriana C Prada-Ruiz, Marc E Richmond. Originally published 11 Nov 2019 Circulation. 2019;140:A13130
Abstract 10351: Association of Left Ventricular Strain and Graft Function Within the First Year Post Heart Transplantation in the Pediatric Population. Rukmini Komarlu , Rod Ghassemzadeh , Francine Erenberg, Lu Wang, Adriana Prada Ruiz, and Gerard Boyle. Originally published 5 Nov 2018. Circulation. 2018;138:A10351
Abstract 20342: Outcomes of Children Supported With the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device System: An Analysis of Pedimacs Registry. Christina J VanderPluym, Eric R Griffiths, Robert Niebler, A. Carolina Prada-Ruiz, Devin A Koehl, Ryan S Cantor, and Angela Lorts. Originally published 9 Jun 2018. Circulation. 2017;136:A20342
Abstract |The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Volume 35, ISSUE 4, SUPPLEMENT, S412, April 01, 2016.Pediatric Myocarditis: Variations in Immunotherapy and Impact on Outcomes. K. Gambetta, G.J. Boyle, R.J. Butts, K.R. Knecht, A.K. Lal, Y. Law, A. Prada-Ruiz, M.E. Richmond, S.C. West, S.R. Deshpande. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2016.01.1189
Abstract| The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Volume 35, ISSUE 4, SUPPLEMENT , S159, April 01, 2016. Readmission Following Acute Myocarditis in Pediatric Patients. K.R. Knecht, G. Boyle. R. Butts, S.R. Deshpande, K. Gambetta, A.K. Lal, M. Richmond, S.C. West, C. Prada-Ruiz. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2016.01.443
Abstract| The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Volume 35, ISSUE 4, SUPPLEMENT , S157-S158, April 01, 2016. Risk Factors at Presentation Predict Outcomes of Pediatric Myocarditis: A Contemporary Multi-Center Cohort. S.C. West, G.J. Boyle, R.J. Butts, S.R. Deshpande, K. Gambetta, K.R. Knecht, A.K. Lal, Y. Law, A.C. Prada-Ruiz, M. Richmond. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2016.01.439
Abstract | The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Volume 35, ISSUE 4, SUPPLEMENT , S411, April 01, 2016Pediatric Myocarditis in a Contemporary Multi-Center Cohort.R.J. Butts , G.J. Boyle, S. Deshpande, K. Gambetta, K. Knecht, C. Prada Ruiz, M. Richmond, S. West, A. Lal. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healun.2016.01.1186
Abstracts: CLINICAL VIGNETTES – LIVER. Spur Cell Anemia as a Cause of Unconjugated Hyperbilirubinemia and Its Resolution After Liver Transplantation. Ruiz, Adriana Prada MD; Alkhouri, Naim MD; Hupertz, Vera MD; Eghtesad, Bijan MD; Radhakrishnan, Kdadakkal MD. American Journal of Gastroenterology: October 2009 – Volume 104 – Issue – p S296 Editorial. Patarroyo, G. A. Prada-Ruiz. “Chest Pain.” Lake County Banner, December 2016.