NEW YORK – May 7, 2026 – The TCT® Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Operator Award will be presented to Rebecca T. Hahn, MD, during Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics® (TCT®), the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®). TCT will take place October 31 – November 3, 2026, in San Diego, California. The award is given each year to a physician who has advanced the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine through technical excellence and leadership. Dr. Hahn is the first imager ever to receive this distinction — a testament to how profoundly she has advanced the role of imaging in cardiovascular care.
A world-renowned clinician, academic leader, and educator, Dr. Hahn has deeply shaped the evolution of imaging in structural heart procedures — transforming how clinicians diagnose, treat, and manage patients with structural heart disease. Widely recognized as the founder of interventional echocardiography, she has established imaging as an essential, procedure‑guiding discipline. Her unparalleled expertise and advanced skill set have demonstrated that the imager’s role is as vital as the operator’s, redefining how heart teams collaborate. As a tireless educator, she has trained and mentored a new generation of imaging specialists, spending time in cath labs around the world to share her methods and elevate standards of care.
“Becky is, quite simply, the embodiment of excellence — an exceptional clinician, academician, communicator, and mentor,” said Martin B. Leon, MD, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of CRF and TCT 2026 Program Director. “She created an entirely new field and inspired a new genre of trainees, inventing ways to teach that never existed before. Her passion, energy, and work ethic are extraordinary, and her success has demonstrated the power of the heart team approach — where imaging and intervention work seamlessly to improve outcomes. There is a level of global respect for Becky that is rare; she is a true icon in our field.”
"I am deeply honored to receive the TCT Master Operator Award,” said Dr. Hahn. “To be the first imager recognized with this distinction is profoundly meaningful — not just for me, but for everyone who has championed the role of imaging in interventional cardiology. This award is a testament to how far our field has come — and to the incredible teams I've had the privilege of working with during my career.”
Among her current leadership roles, Dr. Hahn is Chief Scientific Officer, Echocardiography Core Laboratory at the CRF Clinical Trials Center; Director of Interventional Echocardiography at the Columbia Structural Heart & Valve Center at NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center; and a Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 2009, she joined Columbia | Interventional Cardiovascular Care (CICC) as its first Director of Interventional Echocardiography for the Structural Heart & Valve Center and Director of the first dedicated Interventional Echocardiography Fellowship.
“Becky represents the very best of what this award stands for — exceptional skill, innovation, and leadership," said Juan F. Granada, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of CRF and TCT 2026 Program Director. "Through her vision and commitment, she’s elevated imaging from a supportive technology to a leading force in interventional cardiology, shaping how we understand and perform structural heart procedures around the world.”
Dr. Hahn has significantly contributed to the international body of knowledge and approach to imaging in the cath lab. She has served as Course Director for the Annual State-of-the-Art Echo Course, which trains and educates health care professionals on established and new recommendations of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE). Previously, she directed the Echocardiography Lab at North Shore University Hospital, and prior to that, was the Director of Clinical Echocardiography at Cornell University. She has published more than 565 articles and 11 book chapters on echocardiography and valvular heart disease and has been on the writing committees for five sets of recommendations / guidelines for the ASE and four documents for the Academic Research Consortium (ARC). She was the national principal investigator for the SCOUT Trial investigating the Trialign annuloplasty device and was the national co-principal investigator for the Triscend II Pivotal Trial, which investigated the now FDA-approved EVOQUE Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement device. In addition, she has been a grand rounds speaker at more than 40 different institutions and has been an invited lecturer in over 15 countries.
The accolades Dr. Hahn has received — in addition to the TCT Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Operator Award — reflect her influential contributions to the field. She received a Physician Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASE in 2023, a Lifetime Achievement Award from CSI in 2025, and gave the European Society of Cardiology Rene Laennec Lecture in Clinical Cardiology in 2025.
Dr. Hahn completed her cardiology fellowship, internship, and residency — including a year as assistant chief resident — at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Hahn is a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography, Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology.
Previous recipients of the TCT Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Operator Award include Eberhard Grube, MD; Hideo Tamai, MD; Osamu Katoh, MD; Takahiko Suzuki, MD; Horst Sievert, MD, PhD; Barry D. Rutherford, MD; Bernhard Meier, MD; Marie Claude Morice, MD; Paul S. Teirstein, MD; Patrick L. Whitlow, MD; Alec Vahanian, MD; John G. Webb, MD; Shigeru Saito, MD; Jean Fajadet, MD; William L. Lombardi, MD; Jeffrey W. Moses, MD, and Kenneth Rosenfield, MD, MSc.
About CRF® and TCT®
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®) is a global leader in interventional cardiovascular medicine, driving innovation, spearheading groundbreaking research, and transforming education in the field. Through its relentless pursuit of excellence, CRF not only accelerates medical breakthroughs but also equips healthcare professionals with the tools and knowledge necessary to enhance survival rates and elevate the quality of life for millions worldwide. CRF’s centers of excellence include the CRF Skirball Center for Innovation, CRF Clinical Trials Center, CRF Center for Education, CRF Digital, TCTMD®, and Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team.
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics® (TCT®) is the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Anchored in a legacy spanning over three decades, TCT is a world-class educational experience featuring disruptive innovation, scientific breakthroughs, expert-led tutorials, hands-on training, and ample opportunities for networking and collaboration.
For more information, visit www.crf.org and www.tctconference.com.
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