Washington University cardiothoracic surgeons are consistently ranked among the Top Doctors in St. Louis. Our experts are internationally regarded as leaders for their excellence in performing advanced techniques, conducting leading-edge research, and educating the next generation of surgeons. Our surgeons provide care at the best hospital in the state of Missouri in three of the highest performing surgical specialties (lung cancer treatment, heart surgery, and lung surgery) in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.
![Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/DamianoRFacListing2-17o5gz1-280x386.jpg)
Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD
Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery
![Pirooz Eghtesady, MD, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/EghtesadyPFacListing2-1pehc92-280x386.jpg)
Pirooz Eghtesady, MD, PhD
Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Emerson Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2022/09/Tsuyoshi-Kaneko-280x386-1-280x386.jpg)
Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD
Chief, Section of Cardiac Surgery
John M. Shoenberg Chair in Cardiovascular Disease
Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/KreiselDFacListing-16rbufk-280x386.jpg)
Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD
Chief, Section of Lung Transplantation
G. Alexander Patterson, MD/Mid-America Transplant Endowed Distinguished Chair in Lung Transplantation
Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation
![Varun Puri, MD, MSCI](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/PuriVFacListing-1rw7ibk-280x386.jpg)
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI
Chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery
- Phone: 314-362-4191
Professor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
![Alexander A. Brescia, MD, MSc](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2024/01/Brescia-Alexander_Surg__01_1400x1930-e8e503c438fa2dc0-280x386.png)
Alexander A. Brescia, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
![Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/DamianoRFacListing2-17o5gz1-280x386.jpg)
Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD
Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery
![Puja Kachroo, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/KachrooPFacListing2-1e96g46-280x386.jpg)
Puja Kachroo, MD
Surgical Director, Center for Diseases of the Thoracic Aorta (CDTA)
Associate Professor, Surgery
- Phone: 314-362-2821
Section of Cardiac Surgery
![Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2022/09/Tsuyoshi-Kaneko-280x386-1-280x386.jpg)
Tsuyoshi Kaneko, MD
Chief, Section of Cardiac Surgery
John M. Shoenberg Chair in Cardiovascular Disease
Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Kunal Kotkar, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/KotkarKFacListing-1bpvxt5-280x386.jpg)
Kunal Kotkar, MD
- Phone: 314-362-7983
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Muhammad Faraz Masood, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/MasoodMFacListing-10l7jmi-280x386.jpg)
Muhammad Faraz Masood, MD
- Phone: 314-362-7260
Associate Professor of Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
![Amit A. Pawale, MBBS, FRCS, FACS](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2022/01/Pawale-Amit_280-386.jpg)
Amit A. Pawale, MBBS, FRCS, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPH](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2019/09/Ray-Shuddhadeb-1-280x386.jpg)
Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Matthew Schill, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2020/07/Schill-Matthew_Surg_01_300-280x386.jpg)
Matthew Schill, MD
Instructor of Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Christian Zemlin, PhD, MSc](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2020/10/f8359c9d2-280x386.jpg)
Christian Zemlin, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor of Surgery & Biomedical Engineering
Director, Cardiac Surgical Research Laboratory
![Whitney Brandt, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2023/09/Brandt-Whitney_Surg__01_1400x1930-280x386-1.jpg)
Whitney Brandt, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Andrew Gelman, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/GelmanAFacListing2-13wse7k-280x386.jpg)
Andrew Gelman, PhD
Professor of Surgery
Jacqueline G. and William E. Maritz Endowed Chair
in Immunology and Oncology
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Mohsen Ibrahim, MD, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2022/07/MohsenIbrahim_280-386.jpg)
Mohsen Ibrahim, MD, PhD
Instructor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Benjamin D. Kozower, MD, MPH](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/Kozower-Benjamin_9-20-280x386.jpg)
Benjamin D. Kozower, MD, MPH
- Phone: 314-362-7260
Professor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/KreiselDFacListing-16rbufk-280x386.jpg)
Daniel Kreisel, MD, PhD
Chief, Section of Lung Transplantation
G. Alexander Patterson, MD/Mid-America Transplant Endowed Distinguished Chair in Lung Transplantation
Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation
![Ruben G. Nava Bahena, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/NavaFacListing-1wpll9n-280x386.jpg)
Ruben G. Nava Bahena, MD
- Phone: 314-362-9181
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Section of General Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Varun Puri, MD, MSCI](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/PuriVFacListing-1rw7ibk-280x386.jpg)
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI
Chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery
- Phone: 314-362-4191
Professor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
![Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPH](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2019/09/Ray-Shuddhadeb-1-280x386.jpg)
Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Pirooz Eghtesady, MD, PhD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/EghtesadyPFacListing2-1pehc92-280x386.jpg)
Pirooz Eghtesady, MD, PhD
Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Emerson Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
![Jacob Miller, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/Faculty-photo-J.-Miller-280x386.jpg)
Jacob Miller, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Associate Program Director, Congenital CT Fellowship Program
![Dilip Nath, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2019/04/Nath-Photo-1m47dgj-280x386.jpg)
Dilip Nath, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
![Varun Puri, MD, MSCI](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/PuriVFacListing-1rw7ibk-280x386.jpg)
Varun Puri, MD, MSCI
Chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery
- Phone: 314-362-4191
Professor of Surgery
Section of Thoracic Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
![Muhammad Faraz Masood, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/08/MasoodMFacListing-10l7jmi-280x386.jpg)
Muhammad Faraz Masood, MD
- Phone: 314-362-7260
Associate Professor of Surgery
Section of Cardiac Surgery
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program
![Connor Callahan, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2024/07/Callahan_Connor.jpg)
Connor Callahan, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Medical School
Medical College of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, WI
![Jason Gauthier, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/Headshot-GAUTHIER-280x386.jpg)
Jason Gauthier, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
General Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Medical School
Doctor of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
![Dan Harris, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2024/07/Harris_Daniel_temp_280x386-280x386.jpeg)
Dan Harris, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
The John Hopkins Hospital – Baltimore, MD
Medical School
University of Illinois College of Medicine – Urbana, IL
![Meghan Kelly](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2023/08/Kelly-MResListing-24cpi8x-280x386.jpg)
Meghan Kelly
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
General Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Medical School
University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO
![Ali Khiabani, MD, MHA](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/Headshot-KHIABANI-280x386.jpg)
Ali Khiabani, MD, MHA
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
General Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Medical School
Doctor of Medicine, Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois
![Sujay Kulshrestha, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2024/07/Kulshrestha_Sujay_temp-280x386.jpg)
Sujay Kulshrestha, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
Loyola University Medical Center – Chicago, IL
Medical School
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
![Taras Lysyy, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2024/07/Lysyy_Taras_headshot_750x1000-280x386.jpeg)
Taras Lysyy, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
Loyola University Medical Center – Chicago, IL
Medical School
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
![Michael Napolitano, MD](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2023/08/6T3A5006-e1692822422974-280x386.jpg)
Michael Napolitano, MD
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
Surgery, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Medical School
New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
![Erin M. Schumer, MD, MPH](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2022/06/Schumer-280x386.jpg)
Erin M. Schumer, MD, MPH
Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation Fellow
Residency
General Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky
Medical School
Doctor of Medicine, Ohio State College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
![Tara Semenkovich, MD, MPHS](https://cardiothoracicsurgery.wustl.edu/files/2018/09/Semenkovich-280x386.jpg)
Tara Semenkovich, MD, MPHS
Thoracic Surgery Fellow
Residency
General Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine- St. Louis, Missouri
Medical School
Doctor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine- St. Louis, Missouri