Dr. Heshka grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Prior to her medical training, she completed graduate studies at McGill University, where her research focused on the neurohormonal regulation of body weight. She then completed her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at the University of Ottawa, where she pursued specialty training in internal medicine. During her fellowship, she focused on aspects of cardiometabolic medicine, including cardiology and heart failure, nephrology, hypertension, lipidology, and diabetes management.

Dr. Heshka has worked as a consultant at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital. For the last 12 years, she has worked at the Ottawa Cardiovascular Centre, where her practice focused on general cardiology, cardiometabolic and vascular medicine, heart health in women, and heart failure management.

She established and led a successful community-based heart failure optimization program at the centre. This program not only reduced heart failure hospitalizations in the region but also led to improved quality of life for many patients living with heart failure. Dr. Heshka also spearheaded cardiometabolic and residual risk programs at the centre. She participated on the secondary panel of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Heart Failure Society 2021 Heart Failure Guidelines Update. She is a regular advisor on a variety of provincial and national committees working to improve care in heart failure, cardiovascular disease, lipidology, and diabetes. She teaches at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine at both undergraduate and graduate levels and is passionate about ongoing medical education.

She joins the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to promote heart failure care and to enhance collaboration between academia and the community.