Before growing up in Las Vegas and becoming a naturalized citizen, Dr. Keattiyoat “Top” Wattanakit was born in Bangkok, Thailand.

From a young age, Top’s parents encouraged him to consider a career in medicine. It was not until his father suffered a heart attack, however, that Top realized he wanted to become a physician, with the hopes of understanding cardiovascular disease and how to prevent it.

During his residency at the University of Minnesota, he was encouraged by a mentor to pursue a fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology.

His fellowship allowed Top to focus on research that would identify risk factors and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

After many years of research, his interest in this specialty has grown and has inspired him to receive clinical training in cardiology and vascular medicine.

His research has been selected as the winner and finalists the American Heart Association multiple times. His works have also been published in many peer-reviewed journals.

Top is married with a daughter, Anda. His hobbies include, golf, tennis, and photography.