Avichal Aggarwal, MD

Biography

Avichal Aggarwal, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where he serves as Medical Co-Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program and Medical Director of Pediatric Heart Failure Services. He is a nationally recognized pediatric cardiologist with specialized expertise in advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, ventricular assist devices (VAD), and pediatric heart transplantation.

Dr. Aggarwal is the founding architect of the Pediatric VAD, Heart Failure, and Transplant Program at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Under his leadership, the program achieved UNOS certification in 2021 and rapidly expanded its clinical impact, performing multiple pediatric VAD placements and heart transplants. He developed the program’s clinical, ICU, pharmacy, and nursing protocols and played a central role in establishing new EPIC order set transitions for VAD and transplant care. He also founded and directed one of the nation’s only Pediatric Home Milrinone Clinics, a twice-weekly program that has allowed children with advanced heart failure to safely remain at home, often delaying or avoiding transplant. Additionally, Dr. Aggarwal provides continuous cardiac coverage for pediatric patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center — another service he personally established and grew for UTHealth Houston.

Dr. Aggarwal’s academic contributions span nearly two decades, including peer-reviewed publications in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Pediatrics, Congenital Heart Disease, Cardiology in the Young, The Journal of Pediatrics, and JACC Case Reports. His research portfolio includes leadership roles in multicenter clinical trials, national collaboratives focused on improving VAD outcomes, and quality improvement efforts in pediatric heart failure. He currently serves as ACTION Heart Failure Site Lead and on-site principal investigator for major national initiatives.

A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Aggarwal leads weekly congenital heart surgery conferences, delivers core curriculum lectures for medical students, guides trainees through transplant-focused grand rounds, and mentors pediatric cardiology fellows across multiple institutions.

Dr. Aggarwal has been recognized internationally and in major media for his clinical innovation and patient centered approach — including features in The Clarion Ledger, Houston Chronicle, PEOPLE Magazine, TODAY.com, and local broadcast media. He is also the recipient of the Mahatma Gandhi Award at the House of Lords in London for contributions to global health.

Originally from India and a permanent U.S. resident, Dr. Aggarwal received his medical degree from Odessa State Medical University and completed pediatric residency at Brookdale University Hospital in New York, followed by a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Virginia Commonwealth University.