David D. McManus, MD, ScM, EMBA, FACP, FAHA, FHRS is a clinical and research cardiologist who serves as the Richard M. Haidack Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health.
Known for his pioneering work in cardiac electrophysiology and digital medicine, Dr. McManus leads transformative clinical research focused on applying technology to improve patient care, notably as the primary investigator of the NIH-funded Center for Advancing Point-of-Care Technologies and as a primary investigator of the NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Clinical Research Core during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. McManus has played key leadership roles across numerous high-impact clinical trials and observational studies, including SAGE AF, VITAL AF, GUARD AF, PULSEWATCH, the electronic Framingham Heart Study and the RURAL Heart and Lung Study. He holds leadership positions with prominent national and local cardiology and health organizations, including the Heart Rhythm Society, the Central MA American Heart Association, as well as the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Corporation.
As the founding director of the UMass Chan Program in Digital Medicine, Dr. McManus launched the Health Artificial Intelligence Assurance Laboratory at UMass Chan, a MASSTECH funded initiative, to rigorously evaluate AI applications in healthcare. Through this and other programs, he is also dedicated to training the next generation of health AI professionals, including establishing a novel NIH-funded T32 Training Program in digital health research, and overseeing internships and innovation training for young STEM learners. Over his career, he has published over 400 scientific manuscripts and has secured over $140 million in NIH funding.
As Chair of Medicine, Dr. McManus has strengthened the department of medicine, UMass Chan and UMass Memorial by building innovative programs centered around common areas of clinical and research excellence. Dr. McManus founded two new research divisions and helped the Department create an identity centered on innovation, citizenship, scientific excellence, and entrepreneurship. As a result, the Department of Medicine has become a destination for top-tier academic leaders and faculty. Dr. McManus has overseen significant clinical and research growth, expansion of graduate training programs, and improved departmental financial performance.
McManus is a 2002 graduate of the UMass Chan School of Medicine; he completed an internal medicine residency at the University of California San Francisco and then returned to UMass Chan, where he completed a cardiovascular medicine fellowship and a second fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology; in 2012, he earned a master’s degree in clinical investigation from UMass Chan; in 2025 he earned an executive master’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In recognition of scholarly and academic contributions of national distinction, he was named a Dr. Marcellette Williams Scholar in 2018 and in 2026 he was awarded an Innovator in Healthcare Award by the Boston Business Journal.