UA Sarver Heart Center, Banner – University Medicine – Tucson Welcome 2 New Cardiologists

Two cardiologists recently joined the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center. J.R. Exequiel T. “Keng” Pineda, MD, PhD, and Andrew R. Williams, MD, are now faculty members of the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and are seeing patients at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.

“The rapid growth in cardiovascular medicine at the UArizona Health Sciences and Banner – University Medicine continues as we welcome our new faculty members, Drs. Pineda and Williams. We are more able than ever to provide highly personalized care to patients with heart disease, vascular diseases and those at risk for heart disease,” said Nancy K. Sweitzer, MD, PhD, director of the UArizona Sarver Heart Center, professor of medicine and cardiology chief.

J.R. Exequiel T. “Keng” Pineda, MD, PhD

J.R. Exequiel T. "Keng" Pineda, MD, PhD Dr. Pineda is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. His clinical interests include preventative cardiology, cardiovascular care of patients with cancer who develop cardiovascular toxicities from their treatment, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and interventional cardiology.

Dr. Pineda’s research interests include heart muscle cell research in lab models to understand the cardio-toxic effects of some chemotherapeutics. He has authored and co-authored multiple original research publications and presented his research at national and international scientific meetings.

Dr. Pineda earned his medical and doctoral degrees at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and completed an internal medicine residency and  fellowship in vascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation before coming to the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson for fellowship training in cardiovascular disease, research and interventional cardiology.  

Andrew R. Williams, MD

Dr. Williams is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. His clinical interests include echocardiography, specifically trans-esophageal Andrew R. Williams, MD echocardiography (TEE) and 3D echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, vascular imaging as well as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sports cardiology. 

He has authored multiple original research publications and presented at the local and national level.

Dr. Williams earned his medical degree at UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. He then completed a fellowship in adult cardiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City.

To make an appointment to see these physicians, please call 520-MYHeart (520-694-3278) or 800-524-5928.

University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center

The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center’s 160 members include faculty from cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric cardiology, neurology, vascular surgery, radiology, endocrinology, emergency medicine, nursing, pharmacy and basic sciences. The UArizona Sarver Heart Center emphasizes a highly collaborative research environment, fostering innovative translational or "bench-to-bedside" research; dedicated to innovating lifesaving patient care. If you would like to give permission for Sarver Heart Center to contact you about heart research studies, please complete a Cardiology Research Registry Information Form. The academic mission of the Sarver Heart Center encompasses four fellowship programs in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, and electrophysiology.