Research

Faculty research within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery encompasses a wide range of interests including transplant immunology, lung cancer, lung transplantation, cardiac arrhythmia surgery, cardiac electrophysiology, myocardial preservation and cardiac mechanics. The research is supported by multiple NIH R01 grants, a T32 training grant, a K08 grant, individual National Research Service Awards (NRSAs), AHA grants, ASTS grants and Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation grants. Industry parternships provide additional funding. The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery also supports projects with funding.

In recent years, the division has experienced significant growth in its faculty and research programs. The faculty now includes 12 cardiothoracic surgeons and four laboratory investigators. The clinical research and data management unit has 12 full-time employees who support the research efforts of the faculty and cardiothoracic fellows. The cardiothoracic surgery laboratory has collaborative research projects with faculty in cardiology, pulmonary medicine, pathology, cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering. A joint optical mapping facility shared by pathology, cell and molecular biology, medicine and neurology is located in the cardiothoracic surgery laboratory. The sharing of equipment and expertise not only facilitates research, but also provides a broader research training experience for the research fellows.

All cardiothoracic surgery research facilities – about 6,500 square feet in area – are located within the Clinical Sciences Research Building.

Click on the link below to learn about faculty members’ research interests.

G. Alexander Patterson, M.D.
Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D.

Bryan F. Meyers, M.D., MPH
Charles B. Huddleston, M.D.
John P. Boineau, M.D.
Thalachallour Mohanakumar, Ph.D.
Marc R. Moon, M.D.
Michael K. Pasque, M.D.
Nabil A. Munfakh, M.D.
Richard B. Schuessler, Ph.D.

Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D.
Nader Moazami, M.D.

Traves D. Crabtree, M.D.

Brian P. Cupps. Ph.D.

Andrew Gelman, Ph.D.
Daniel Kreisel, M.D., Ph.D.

Alexander S. Krupnick, M.D.

I-wen Wang, M.D.


G. Alexander Patterson, M.D., the Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, directs the Lung Transplant Program at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the largest lung transplant program in the world. Not surprisingly, his research interests involve lung transplantation and methods of organ preservation. His research laboratory is funded by the NIH.

Patterson has authored approximately 350 contributions to the scientific literature and has given lectures and presentations at many of the world's most prestigious institutions.

Ralph J. Damiano, Jr., M.D., the John M. Shoenberg Professor of Surgery and chief of cardiac surgery, 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.

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

Bryan F. Meyers, M.D., MPH, professor of surgery and chief of General Thoracic Surgery, is active in the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), currently serving on the Executive Committee and the Thoracic Organ Site Committee. Dr. Meyers completed his Master of Public Health program in 2005 with a concentration in biostatistics. He also has contributed substantially to the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery where he has served on the editorial board since 2004 and as an associate editor in 2008.

The research interests of Charles B. Huddleston, M.D., professor of surgery and chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, reflect his intense clinical involvement in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and thoracic organ transplantation. He also has been instrumental in developing technical modifications of the Fontan operation directed at avoiding serious cardiac arrhythmias.

The primary interest of John P. Boineau, M.D., professor of medicine and surgery, is cardiac electrophysiology. He is considered to be a worldwide authority on this research area.

Author of numerous publications in the field of electrophysiology, Boineau is also co-investigator with Ralph Damiano, Jr., M.D., on the Surgical Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias grant.  Boineau not only functions as a most effective liaison between cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, he also mentors many of the residents during their research experience.

Thalachallour Mohanakumar, Ph.D., the Jacqueline G. and William E. Maritz Professor of Immunology and Oncology, is director of histocompatibility and immunogenetics.

At any given time, there are usually several surgical residents working in Mohanakumar's research lab. He also serves in a mentoring and consulting capacity to many others, residents and faculty alike. Even though most of his research is complex and quite sophisticated, it is all very clinically oriented. Residents enjoy working with him and work productively in his lab.

Marc R. Moon, M.D., professor of surgery, 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, Fontan operation). Moon’s passion, however, lies in the clinical area of reoperative coronary and valvular surgery, and diseases of the thoracic aorta.

In recognition of his academic excellence, Moon recently was awarded the 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.”

Michael K. Pasque, M.D., professor of surgery, has an active research program involving computer modeling of ventricular dynamics as a method of studying changes in cardiac geometry and function. 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.

Nabil A. Munfakh, M.D., associate professor of surgery, has made significant contributions to the scientific literature with 12 manuscripts, five abstracts and seven presentations.

Richard B. Schuessler, Ph.D., research associate professor, has authored or co-authored more than 120 scientific publications and has provided immeasurable support for many residents and fellows in their research efforts. He presently oversees and coordinates the activities in the cardiothoracic surgery research laboratories. He also administers the research grants within the division in collaboration with individual investigators.

The investigative interests of Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D., associate professor of surgery, include intraoperative myocardial protection (specifically, the use of ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers), myocyte volume regulation, cardiac electrophysiology and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Lawton has 49 published scientific manuscripts and has made numerous presentations at national surgical meetings.She has basic research funding via the Nina Starr Braunwald Career Development Award from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education.

Although the many publications of Nader Moazami, M.D., associate professor of surgery, 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 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.

The primary research interest of Traves D. Crabtree, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, is related to improving clinical outcomes in lung cancer patients.

Brian P. Cupps, Ph.D., research assistant professor of surgery, collaborates with Michael Pasque, M.D., on an active research program involving computer modeling of ventricular dynamics as a method of studying changes in cardiac geometry and function.

Andrew Gelman, Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery, is director of the Lung Transplant Laboratory and actively collaborates with Division Chief G. Alexander Patterson, M.D., and Daniel Kreisel, M.D., Ph.D. His primary research interests are on how intracellular signaling pathways control ischemia-reperfusion injury and rejection of solid organ allografts.

The research interests of Daniel Kreisel, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of surgery, are primarily in transplantation immunology. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 scientific publications and has NIH funding as well as funding from a variety of non-federal sources.

Alexander S. Krupnick, M.D., assistant professor of surgery, focuses on tumor immunology and immune-based therapy for oncologic disorders. He is currently funded by the Melanoma Research Association and the American Cancer Society and has received funding from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

The research interests of I-wen Wang, M.D., are biomaterials, cardiac assist devices, cardiothoracic transplantation and organ preservation.

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