Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. (PHAR ’96, I1 ’99, PMR ’03, CI ’03), started fencing competitively in her home country of Venezuela when she was just 8 years old. Her passion for the sport would keep her competing for 20 years — including 14 years on the Venezuelan national fencing team — and earn her a place in the Sport Hall of Fame in Venezuela.

When she stopped competing, she didn’t put aside her love of sport or her rigorous work ethic — instead, these qualities propelled her into a successful medical career as a clinician and researcher focusing on cardiovascular rehabilitation, regenerative medicine and stem-cell based cardiac repair. She is a physiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with appointments in the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Cardiovascular Medicine.

“She has been an international leader in this space, remarkably gaining international reputation in both PM&R and cardiology worlds,” says Sherilyn Driscoll, M.D. (PMR ’94), Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. “Her work has resulted in impactful improvements in care for individuals with cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal comorbidities and frailty.”

Dr. Terzic is a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. She is the former chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and current medical director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program within the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases. She helped found and serves as co-director of the Mayo Clinic Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center.

“She has been an international leader in this space, remarkably gaining international reputation in both PM&R and cardiology worlds.“

– Sherilyn Driscoll, M.D.

In addition, Dr. Terzic is a recipient of numerous awards — including the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) Distinguished Academician Award — and an editorial board member of journals including the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the Journal of Cardio- pulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

Specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation was an obvious way for Dr. Terzic to combine her passions for science, medicine and sports. But she was also drawn to the holistic nature of the specialty — focusing on a patient’s quality of life and social functioning instead of a single organ.

This genuine concern for the patient is evident, says Thomas Rizzo Jr., M.D. (PMR ’89), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

“Her empathetic approach, coupled with her clinical expertise, has positively impacted countless individuals facing challenges related to physical disabilities and rehabilitation needs,” says Dr. Rizzo. “Dr. Terzic’s patients consistently praise her for her dedication, expertise and unwavering support throughout their rehabilitation journeys.”

In addition to exemplary patient care, Dr. Terzic is known for her administrative acuity, generous mentorship, and high-impact, high-value preclinical and clinical research, with more than 100 publications in top journals including Science.

This research attempts to assess the role of nuclear transport during stem cell differentiation to optimize their properties for cardiac commitment and direct stem cells toward cardiogenesis to restore function lost to damaged tissue. In addition, her clinical research focuses on optimizing cardiac rehabilitation clinical outcomes and incorporating new clinical assessment for patients with cardiovascular diseases.

And Dr. Terzic has spread her enthusiasm for cardiac prevention and rehabilitation around the world. As one example, Thomas Allison, Ph.D. (CV ’88), Division of Preventive Cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, points to a 2005 cardiovascular symposium in Venezuela organized by Dr. Terzic.

“It was a fantastic meeting, ultimately giving birth to a grant from the InterAmerican Heart Foundation and the South American Society of Cardiology which sent one cardiologist from each of the 10 major countries in South America for training in Rochester,” Dr. Allison says. “Numerous papers, additional symposia and new cardiac rehabilitation programs in South America all grew out of that first visit — and Dr. Terzic’s continuing support.”

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The Early and Mid-Career Alumni Awards recognize Mayo Clinic alumni who have made robust contributions to their areas of expertise in the realms of education, clinical practice, clinical and scientific research, and administration. Beyond their professional output, they demonstrate selfless community service and have consistently acted in a manner that is aligned with Mayo Clinic values.Read about the other 2024 recipients here.