Recognized nationally for her leadership and service to the field of cardiovascular disease in women, Dr. Malissa Wood, vice president and chief physician executive for the Lee Health Heart Institute, has been named the winner of the prestigious 2025 Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Award from the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Dr. Wood joined Lee Health in 2023. She has been instrumental in expanding the cardiology service line across both acute and ambulatory care settings. Under her leadership, the Lee Health Heart Institute has reinforced its status as the premier center for cardiovascular care in Southwest Florida.

Dr. Wood joined Lee Health after a tenure at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she served as Associate Chief of Cardiology and co-director of the Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program. She also held the Cathy E. Minehan Chair for Cardiovascular Disease in Women and was an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Wood received her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Missouri Kansas City, and she completed both her Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, where she served as chief medical resident.

Her research endeavors focus on the cardiovascular health of athletes and high-risk populations. Dr. Wood has also been an instrumental part of the Happy Heart Trial, a study aimed at enhancing the heart health of low-income women. Additionally, she has worked with the U.S. Olympic Committee and elite athletes from Harvard University.