Retu Saxena, MD grew up in Brookings, South Dakota.  She did her undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Minnesota, as well graduated from medical school from the University of Minnesota.  After medical school she did her internship and residency in internal medicine at OHSU in Portland, Oregon.  She stayed in Portland and completed a critical care fellowship as well.  Her cardiology fellowship was completed at University of New Mexico where she stayed on as faculty.  During her time at University of New Mexico, she was actively involved with managing and practicing at the UNM women’s heart clinic.  She then moved to MN to work with the region’s largest women’s heart clinic at the time.  She eventually directed the echocardiography laboratory at her prior organization.  She now is a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute.  Her interests are women and heart disease, cardio obstetrics, prevention, and noninvasive imaging as well as cardiac critical care.  She is the first female governor of the Minnesota Chapter of the American College of Cardiology