JaBaris Demond Swain

JaBaris Demond Swain, MD, MPH, is a Clinical Associate Surgeon and global health scholar affiliated with the Center for Global Health at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. His work is centered on advancing cardiothoracic surgery and public health in resource-limited settings, with sustained engagement in Rwanda and Haiti. He is actively involved in clinical care, surgical education, and health systems development, particularly in addressing rheumatic heart disease and building sustainable cardiac surgery programs.

Dr. Swain’s research interests include:

• Global Surgery and Surgical Equity
• Cardiothoracic Transplant Surgery
• Public Health Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease
• Surgical Education and Training in Low-Resource Settings
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Humanitarian Medical Missions

His recent publications reflect a strong focus on the development and sustainability of cardiac surgery programs in low- and middle-income countries. The articles highlight themes such as policy advocacy, surgical training models, long-term program evaluation, and cross-specialty lessons from global neurosurgery. His work emphasizes partnership-driven, locally-led solutions to expand access to life-saving cardiac care.

Notable scientific contributions include:

• Co-authorship on a state-of-the-art review of cardiac surgery in LMICs (2020)
• Analysis of political commitment to global cardiovascular care (2020)
• Documentation of a decade-long humanitarian surgery program in Rwanda (2018)
• Development of a novel training model for academic global surgery (2015)

Dr. Swain has been instrumental in mentoring trainees and residents through global health programs and has contributed to capacity-building initiatives with organizations like Team Heart and the Rwanda Heart Foundation. His work integrates clinical excellence with public health strategy to create lasting impact in underserved populations.