Where did you receive your undergraduate and/or medical training?
I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. I attended medical school at Duke University School of Medicine. My general and cardiothoracic surgical training was at Duke University and my pediatric cardiac surgery training was at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

How long have you been at Duke?
I have been on the faculty since 2003.

Where did you work prior to coming to Duke?
Duke is my first faculty appointment.

Do you sit on any boards or journals?
I review journal articles for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and The American Heart Journal.

What are your board certifications and society memberships?
I am certified by American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery. I am a member of North Carolina Medical Society and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

What led you into the field of pediatric cardiology/pediatric cardiac surgery?
Primarily an interest in the physiology of patients with congenital heart surgery, as well as the technical challenges of the surgery.

What are your areas of sub-specialty and how have things changed since you entered the field?
I perform surgery for children and adults with congenital heart disease, as well as heart transplantation and ventricular assist device surgery. The options for mechanical circulatory support are rapidly expanding.

Are you involved with any clinical trials or research studies? If so, what are you examining?
I am involved in a multi-center randomized prospective study of a novel adhesion barrier to be used in children having staged surgical procedures and an evaluation of the neuro-developmental impact of neonatal cardiac surgery.

I am also researching the development of a non-blood contacting ventricular assist device for pediatric patients.

What drew you to Duke and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I find Duke to be an great place to work because of its strong tradition of expertise in a number of fields, particularly cardiac surgery, and because of the vast resources and potential here. I find the most gratifying aspect of my job to be working as part of a multidisciplinary team with many different experts and learning from them every day.

Share a special story to explain more about your experience helping children with congenital heart disease.
I have had the opportunity to care for a number of children that would have died of their disease only ten or twenty years ago, but were able to survive and thrive with the therapies we can offer today. I have also had the opportunity to participate in a mission to Nicaragua where we operated on children with congenital heart disease who otherwise would have had no access to surgical care.

What do you think sets Duke Pediatric Cardiology apart from other practices in the area?
Duke has a unique combination of fully trained specialists in all of the cardiology subspecialties, as well as two trained pediatric cardiac surgeons. In addition, we have a very successful ECMO program, and offer heart transplant and ventricular assist therapies as well. No other program in the state can provide these resources

What are your personal hobbies or interests?
I enjoy staying in shape and traveling with my wife.