Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D.
Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D., is the John M. Shoenberg Professor of Surgery and chief of cardiac surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Duke University where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha. He went on to complete both his general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery training at Duke University Medical Center. During this time, Damiano received a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his work on the surgical treatment of arrhythmias.

Damiano’s first faculty appointment was at the Medical College of Virginia from 1989 to 1996. During his tenure, he rose to associate professor of surgery and was named director of the Surgical Electrophysiology and Cardiothoracic Surgical Research Laboratories. He also was medical director of the Medical College of Virginia/Richmond Memorial Hospital Heart Program.

In 1996, Damiano was appointed professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University. At Penn State, he also was co-director of the Cardiovascular Center and was appointed professor of cellular and molecular physiology. In 2000, Damiano was appointed chief of cardiac surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

Damiano has authored more than 230 scientific publications. His major contributions have been in the area of myocardial preservation during heart surgery, surgical electrophysiology and minimally invasive cardiac surgery. He has been associate editor of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and is on nine other editorial boards. He has been a member of the Surgery and Biomedical Engineering Study Section at the NIH.

Damiano is a pioneer in the area of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. His developmental work on robotically assisted microsurgery for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) earned him a ComputerWorld Smithsonian Award in June 1997. Damiano performed the first robotically assisted CABG procedure in North America in December 1998. He completed the first prospective clinical trial in the world on robotically assisted CABG.

He also has remained active in the surgical treatment of arrhythmias. His team at Washington University is world renowned for its clinical and basic research on the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. The team recently developed a less invasive procedure for atrial fibrillation that is more widely applicable to patients with this arrhythmia.

Damiano was listed in Best Doctors in America (Best Doctors, Inc.) in 2007.
Dr. Damiano’s CV

William A. Gay, Jr., M.D.
William A. Gay, Jr., M.D., is an emeritus professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

Gay received his medical degree from Duke University in 1961. After completing two years of his surgical residency at Duke University Medical Center, he spent two years at the Clinic of Surgery, National Heart Institute (now National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute), as a clinical associate. He then returned to Duke where he completed his residency in general and cardiothoracic surgery, culminating in a year as a teaching scholar in cardiothoracic surgery from 1970 to 1971. He was certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery in 1971.

After completing his residency, Gay joined the faculty at Cornell University Medical College in New York in July 1971 and achieved full professorship in 1978. In 1984, he was appointed professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine and remained in that position until 1992.

From 1990 to 1992, Gay also served as vice president for health sciences at the University of Utah and chairman of the board of University Hospitals and Clinics. From 1993 to 1995, he was professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. In 1995, Gay was named professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. From 1997 to 2000, he was the John M. Shoenberg Professor of Surgery and chief of cardiac surgery. Upon his retirement from clinical practice in 2000, Gay was succeeded by Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D.

Gay was a director of the American Board of Surgery from 1989 to 1995 and a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery from 1988 to 1993, serving as vice chairman from 1993 to 1995 and chairman from 1995 to 1997. He now serves the Board as executive director.

Dr. Gay’s CV

Marc R. Moon, M.D.
Marc R. Moon, M.D., is a professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

Moon received his medical degree from Wayne State University in 1988 and completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin from 1988-1995. His residency included training in vascular surgery at Oxford University in England with Professor Peter Morris (1994), and he spent two years (1991-1993) in the cardiovascular physiology laboratory at Stanford University with D. Craig Miller, M.D. Moon’s investigative efforts focused on the pathophysiology of mitral regurgitation and its surgical treatment, the effects of mechanical left ventricular (LV) support and the development of endovascular stent technology for the treatment of thoracic aortic disease. He returned to Stanford University from 1995-1998 to complete his clinical cardiothoracic surgery residency under Bruce Reitz, M.D., with specialized training in thoracic organ transplantation.

In 1998, Moon joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine. He was promoted to associate professor in 2002 and to professor in 2005. He has an active laboratory examining right-heart physiology in chronic pulmonary hypertension. His goals are to develop a mathematical model of right atrial (RA)-right ventricular (RV) function that can be used to predict the consequences of isolated right-sided pathology and surgical procedures that rely heavily on normal right-heart function for success (such as heart transplantation, Maze procedure and Fontan operation).

In recognition of his academic excellence, Moon was awarded a Thoracic Surgery Foundation Research Grant to study the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic pulmonary hypertension. He also is a recipient of an NIH R01 grant entitled "Pathophysiology and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension."

Moon was named director of the Center for Diseases of the Thoracic Aorta in December 2000 and program director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program in June 2004.

Moon is listed in Best Doctors in America (Best Doctors, Inc.) in 2006.

Dr. Moon’s CV

Michael K. Pasque, M.D.
Michael K. Pasque, M.D., is a professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine.

Pasque received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma. He completed a residency in general surgery at the University of California-Los Angeles and a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Toronto. He also completed a two-year research fellowship at Duke University. He is certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Pasque is active in research involving computer modeling of ventricular dynamics as a method of studying changes in cardiac geometry and function. He also has an active clinical practice in adult cardiac surgery. He not only is involved in the service dedicated to the implantation and management of ventricular assist devices, but also is an active participant in the cardiac transplant team.

Pasque was listed in Best Doctors in America (Best Doctors, Inc.) in 2007.

Dr. Pasque’s CV

Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D.
Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D., is an associate professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and an attending cardiothoracic surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Lawton earned her medical degree from Hahnemann University where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society. She completed a general surgery residency at the Medical College of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University) and a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in July 2001.

Lawton is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Her investigative interests include intraoperative myocardial protection (specifically, the use of ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers), myocyte volume regulation, cardiac electrophysiology and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Clinically, she is involved in adult cardiac surgery including coronary revascularization (on or off cardiopulmonary bypass), valvular heart disease and the surgical treatment of cardiac dysrhythmias (including the implantation of pacemakers and of automatic cardioverter-defibrillators).

Lawton has 49 published manuscripts and has made numerous presentations at national surgical meetings.

Dr. Lawton’s CV

Nader Moazami, M.D.
Nader Moazami, M.D., is an associate professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He also is an attending cardiothoracic surgeon and chief of cardiac transplantation at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Moazami received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha academic honorary society. He completed a general surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, NY, and a residency in thoracic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Moazami is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in 2001.

Although many of his publications reflect his interest in cardiac assistance and transplantation, his bibliography indicates much broader interests and experience. Over the last several years, he has been involved in developing the mechanical assist program. The program currently offers a wide range of options for temporary and chronic VAD support. The first Total Artificial Heart was implanted in February 2007. The division is active in ongoing research and trials involving mechanical circulatory support.

While his principal clinical interests are ventricular assistance and transplantation in the treatment of advanced cardiac disease, Moazami’s practice includes the broad area of adult cardiac surgery.

Dr. Moazami’s CV

Nabil A. Munfakh, M.D.
Nabil Munfakh, M.D., is a professor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and an attending cardiothoracic surgeon at Christian Hospital.

Munfakh earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan School of Medicine where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society. He completed a general surgery residency at University of Kentucky Hospital, taking a year to participate in cardiac research at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at the Medical College of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University).

Munfakh is certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. After spending seven years on the faculty at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, he joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in 2001. His clinical interests encompass all aspects of adult cardiac surgery, with particular interest in mitral valve repair

Munfakh has made significant contributions to the scientific literature with 12 manuscripts, five abstracts and seven presentations.

Dr. Munfakh’s CV

I-wen Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

I-wen Wang, M.D., Ph.D., is an instructor of surgery in the Cardiac Surgery Section of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and an attending cardiothoracic surgeon at Christian Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Wang received both his medical degree and doctor of philosophy degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. He completed his general surgery residency, and a research fellowship with the Cardiothoracic Donor Procurement Team, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA. He went on to complete a cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, MI, and a cardiothoracic transplant and ventricular assist device fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Wang is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He joined the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in 2007 where he performs cardiac transplants and mechanical circulatory assist device implants at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. At Christian Hospital, Wang provides adult cardiac and general thoracic surgical services.

Dr. Wang's CV

Charles B. Huddleston, M.D.
Charles B. Huddleston, M.D., is professor of surgery and chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University and completed his training in general and cardiothoracic surgery at the same institution. He then spent a year as senior registrar at the Hospital for Sick Children in London, England. Huddleston is certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Huddleston’s research interests reflect his intense clinical involvement in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and thoracic organ transplantation. He also has been instrumental in the development of technical modifications of the Fontan operation aimed at avoiding serious cardiac arrhymias.

Dr. Huddleston's CV

Sanjiv K. Gandhi, M.D.
Sanjiv K. Gandhi, M.D., is an associate professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from McGill University in Montreal. He completed his general surgery residency at Saint Louis University, a cardiothoracic surgery research fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine and a cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He finished his training with fellowships in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) and pediatric cardiovascular surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Prior to his appointment at Washington University, he served as the acting director of the Section of Congenital Health Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and as associate director of the ECMO program and surgical director of Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Transplantation at CHP.

Gandhi is certificed by the American Board of Surgery, the American College of Surgery, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada-Cardiac Surgery. He is experienced in all aspects of congenital heart surgery, with particular expertise in pediatric electrophysiology, cardiopulmonary transplantation and mechanical support for pediatric heart failure.

Dr. Gandhi's CV

Washington University physicians are the medical staff of
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital