Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Keck School of Medicine, USC
Los Angeles, California, United States
I joined the Department of Surgery as a Hastings Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of the Heart and Lung Transplant Program in 1992 and became Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 1997. I was named a Distinguished Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2004 and became Chair and Surgeon-in-Chief of the Department of Surgery in 2008.
As the founding Director of the USC Heart and Vascular Institute, I have built an interdisciplinary powerhouse comprised of clinicians and basic scientists who are exploring better and more innovative ways of treating heart disease. Under my leadership, USC surgeons have conducted more than 16,400 open heart surgeries to repair and replace valves or create coronary artery bypasses, and more than 10,425 surgeries for diseases of the lungs, esophagus, and chest wall.
I also serve as the Division Head of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Heart Institute. When I was recruited in 1992, the program was performing 125 surgeries a year. The Institute has now conducted more than 17,100 open heart surgeries to repair and replace valves or create coronary artery bypasses, and more than 10,700 surgeries for diseases of the lungs, esophagus, and chest wall.
I have an ongoing interest in congenital heart disease and minimally invasive repair and replacement of the valves of the heart. I am actively involved in research on stem-cell therapy for congenital heart defects and in clinical trials investigation of new valve technology, including percutaneous heart valve replacement. I have authored and co-authored over 200 publications. My major areas of research include adult acquired heart disease, tissue engineering, and heart, heart-lung, and lung transplantation.
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Hands-On Course: The Ross Procedure
Sunday, January 26, 2025
7:00am – 8:30am PT