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About
“Did you know the heart beats over 100,000 time every day? The heart is truly amazing. I am privileged to care for children with congenital heart disease from before they are born through childhood and to watch them grow.”
I am a pediatric cardiologist at the University Health Cardiovascular Center. I specialize in congenital heart disease, with expertise in pediatric and fetal echocardiography, fetal cardiology and cardiac neurodevelopment. I serve as the director of the Single Ventricle Clinic and director of pediatric cardiology inpatient care, where I focus on providing comprehensive, coordinated care for children with complex heart conditions.
My work in pediatric cardiology allows me the unique privilege of caring for children and their families over time — from prenatal diagnosis through treatment and into childhood. Being part of that journey and watching my patients grow, thrive and reach important milestones is one of the most meaningful aspects of my career.
Philosophy of Care
I believe in caring not only for the infant or child, but for the entire family. Supporting families through diagnosis, treatment and long-term care is essential to achieving the best possible outcomes for every child.
My approach centers on delivering thoughtful, individualized care while supporting patients and families throughout their entire journey.
Favorite Parts of Medicine
Watching children recover, grow and enjoy being kids
Supporting families through every stage of their child’s heart care journey
I am married to Dr. Aaron Abarbanell, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, also with the Cardiovascular Center, and together we have two children.
Hobbies
Outside of medicine, I enjoy off-roading with Jeeps, hiking, backpacking and spending time with my family.
Video
Articles & Publications
Journal Articles
Kim HS, Abarbanell G, Simpson K, Abarbanell AM, Eghtesady P, Levy PT, Singh GK. Evolution and Predictors of Right Ventricular Failure in Fontan Patients: A Case-Control Study. J Clin Med. 2025 Jun 29;14(13):4602. doi: 10.3390/jcm14134602. PMID: 40648976; PMCID: PMC12250303.
Ginnie Abarbanell, Martina Oneko, Laura Steinhardt, Reuben Yego, Ryan E Wiegand, Phillip A. Swanson, Natasha KC, Dorcas Akach, Tony Sang, Julie Gutman, Elizabeth Nzuu, Allan Dungani, B. Kim Lee Sim, Paul Ndaya Oloo, Kephas Otieno, Dennis K. Bii, Peter F. Billingsley, Eric R James, Simon Kariuki, Aaron Samuels, Said Jongo, Winnie Chebore, Salim Abdulla, Claudia A Daubenberger, Maxmillian Mpina, David Styers, Gail E Potter, Thomas L. Richie, Stephen Hoffman, Robert A. Seder. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine against malaria in infants in western Kenya: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in Nature Medicine 27(9):1-10, September 2021.
Ginnie Abarbanell, Kayla N. Anderson, Naomi K. Tepper, Karrie Downing, Elizabeth C. Ailes, Sherry Farr. Contraceptive methods of privately-insured U.S. women with congenital heart defects in American Heart Journal 222, April 2020.
Ginnie Abarbanell, Naomi K. Tepper, Sherry L. Farr. Safety of contraceptive use among women with congenital heart disease: A systematic review in Clinical Infectious Diseases 71(4), September 2019.
Ginnie Abarbanell, Laura Steinhardt, Thomas L Richie, Reuben Yego, Dorcas Akach
Mary J Hamel, Julie Gutman, Ryan E Wiegand, Elizabeth Nzuu, Allan Dungani
Natasha Kc, Tooba Murshedkar, L W Preston Church, B Kim Lee Sim, Peter Billingsley, Eric R James, Yonas Abebe, Simon Kariuki, Aaron Samuels, Kephas Otieno, Tony Sang, Patrick Kachur, David Styers, Kelly Schlessman, Stephen Hoffman, Robert A Seder, Martina Oneko. Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of PfSPZ Vaccine administered by direct venous inoculation to infants and young children: findings from an age de-escalation, dose-escalation double-blinded randomized, controlled study in western Kenya in Congenital Heart Disease 14(3), January 2019.
Ginnie Abarbanell, Sherry L. Farr, Karrie F. Downing, Tiffany Riehle-Colarusso . Functional limitations and educational needs among children and adolescents with heart disease in Congenital Heart Disease 13(4), July 2018.
Ginnie Abarbanell, William L Border, Brian Schlosser, Gemma Morrow, Mike Kelleman,
Ritu Sachdeva. Preoperative echocardiographic measures in interrupted aortic arch: Which ones best predict surgical approach and outcome? in Congenital Heart Disease 13(4), March 2018.
Riehle-Colarusso TJ, Bergersen L, Broberg CS, Cassell CH, Gray DT, Grosse SD, Jacobs JP, Jacobs ML, Kirby RS, Kochilas L, Krishnaswamy A, Marelli A, Pasquali SK, Wood T, Oster ME. Congenital Heart Public Health Consortium. Databases for Congenital Heart Defect Public Health Studies Across the Lifespan. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016 Oct 26;5(11):e004148. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.116.004148. PMID: 27912209; PMCID: PMC5210337.
Ginnie L. Abarbanell, Gemma Morrow, Mike Kelleman, Kirk R. Kanter, William L Border, Ritu Sachdeva. Echocardiographic Predictors of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction following Repair of Atrioventricular Septal Defect: LV Outflow Obstruction in AVSD in Congenital Heart Disease 11(6), May 2016.
Abarbanell GL, Goldberg CS, Devaney EJ, Ohye RG, Bove EL, Charpie JR. Early surgical morbidity and mortality in adults with congenital heart disease: the University of Michigan experience. Congenit Heart Dis. 2008 Mar-Apr;3(2):82-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-0803.2008.00170.x. PMID: 18380757.
Abarbanell G, Mulla N, Chinnock R, Larsen R. Exercise assessment in infants after cardiac transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2004 Dec;23(12):1334-8. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2003.09.019. PMID: 15607660.
Abarbanell G, Janner D. Failure to thrive and history of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a six-year-old Hispanic boy. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2002 Mar;21(3):259, 268-9. doi: 10.1097/00006454-200203000-00020. PMID: 12005094.