Ashley M Bartell, MD, PhD, FACOG

 Ashley Hesson
Associate Director, Cardio-Obstetrics Program
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Medical School
University of Michigan
Obstetrics and Gynecology
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-5276
Available to mentor
Ashley M Bartell, MD, PhD, FACOG
Ashley Hesson
Assistant Professor
  • About
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications

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    • About

    Dr. Bartell specializes in Cardio-Obstetrics, the care of pregnant people with congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease. She also has expertise in the management of hypertension in pregnancy. She strives to facilitate a positive birth experience through patient-centered communication.

    Qualifications
    • MD, College of Human Medicine
      Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States
      2010 - 2016
    • PhD, Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics
      Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States
      2010 - 2014
    • BS, Biochemistry and Linguistics (double major), Psychology (minor)
      Georgetown University, Washington D.C., United States
      2005 - 2009

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation
    • Center Member
      e-Health and Artificial Intelligence Initiative
    • Center Member
      Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center

    Research Overview

    - Translational research on hypertension in pregnancy and its effect on lifelong cardiovascular outcomes.
    - Outcome optimization for pregnant people with cardiovascular disease.
    - Management of labor for pregnant people with chronic medical conditions.
    - Patient-provider communication

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Defective Trophoblast Differentiation, Endothelial Dysfunction, and Immune Dysregulation in Preeclampsia Coalesce on a Placental VGLL3-Centered Gene Network.
      Plazyo O, Chopp LB, Peela R, Young K, Zhang H, Bogle R, Hesson A, Langen ES, Bergin IL, Syu L-J, Erba J, Kirma J, Dey P, Zhang L, Sarkar MK, Swindell WR, Gallagher KA, Ward NL, Singer K, Kahlenberg JM, Billi AC, Dlugosz AA, Ganesh SK, Tsoi LC, Gudjonsson JE. Circulation, 2026 Apr 9; DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.125.076218
      PMID: 41953989
    • Journal Article
      26-A-8661-ACC NITROPRUSSIDE USE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOGENIC SHOCK WITHOUT HYPOTENSION
      Ketcham SW, Golbus JR, Hamilton D, Hesson A, Anderson L, Marshall V, Adie S. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2026 Mar 30; 87 (13): a1126 DOI:10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.2761
    • Journal Article
      Cardiac Tamponade Revealing a New Diagnosis of Malignancy: When Intervention Is the Answer
      Spehar S, Wallace D, Osobamiro O, George J, Hesson A, Horn M. Jacc Case Reports, 2026 Apr 1; 31 (13): DOI:10.1016/j.jaccas.2025.106589
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Nitroprusside use associated with improved survival in patients with cariogenic shock without hypotension.
      Ketcham SW, Golbus JR, Hamilton D, Pashun RA, Hesson A, Anderson L, Marshall VD, Adie SK. 2026 Mar 28;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Mitigating pregnancy-associated atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk: the relationship between weight, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and cardiometabolic conditions
      Baruch A, Anderson L, Falstin M, Braun G, Aaron B, Schon S, Admon L, Hesson A. 2026 Feb 10;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Weight gained or never lost: the relationship between pregnancy weight trajectory and lifelong cardiometabolic risk
      Baruch A, Anderson L, Falstin M, Braun G, Aaron B, Schon S, Admon L, Hesson A. 2026 Feb 10;
    • Journal Article
      Investigate the Effects of Preeclampsia Severity, Race and Fetal Sex on Subsequent Maternal Complications Using EHR Data From Over 100,000 Pregnancies
      Yang X, Zhu H, Tao L, Chen R, Chang J, Wang ZP, Langen ES, Hesson AM, Bejan CA, Li R, Gamire LX. iMetaMed, 2026 Jan 19; DOI:10.1002/imm3.70027
    • Journal Article
      "You don't treat your skinny patients like this": a qualitative study of fertility care experiences among women with larger bodies and infertility.
      Elliott V, Plummer K, Stroumsa D, Hesson A, Marsh EE, Schon SB. Front Reprod Health, 2026 8: 1730572 DOI:10.3389/frph.2026.1730572
      PMID: PMC12913398

    Featured News & Stories

         mother with four kids smiling
    Health Lab

    A heart attack 9 days after giving birth: Mother of 4 shares her SCAD experience

    A mother of four shares journey with a rare heart attack just days after birth called Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, a leading cause of heart attacks in women under 50.
         woman taking her blood pressure on bed while pregnant
    Health Lab

    Researchers discover what may be the root cause of preeclampsia, and how to fix it

    After years of research, a large team of multidisciplinary scientists from Michigan Medicine has identified a key molecular driver of preeclampsia, and demonstrated a potential way to counteract it in both mouse models and human placental tissue.
         two doctors with patient listening to heart
    Health Lab

    2 heartbeats, 1 future: Why pregnancy is a critical window for women’s heart health

    Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women. Yet one of the most important windows to understand a woman’s lifelong heart health may come decades earlier during pregnancy. How new research could change heart care for women long after delivery.