David T. Linker

David T. Linker is an associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at UW and an attending physician at the UW Medical Center, with an adjunct appointment in bioengineering. He has over 80 publications, four patents and numerous other patent disclosures. With degrees in medicine and bioengineering, he was the engineering project leader for one of the world’s first commercialized intravascular ultrasound systems. He also developed commercial software for detailed research analysis of cardiac ultrasound data. David Linker’s most recent interest has been diagnosing asymptomatic atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that increases the risk of stroke if untreated. He developed an algorithm that is over 50 times more accurate than existing software for screening for atrial fibrillation, and an inexpensive and comfortable monitor to perform the necessary recordings. Variations of the algorithm can also be used to prevent inappropriate shocks from implantable defibrillators. These technologies led to the launch of the start-up company Cardiac Insight. Linker also developed the software which makes the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) accessible on the web and smartphones, which is now used world-wide to help health-care practitioners make the best treatment choices in treating their patients with heart failure.