Nicolas Madsen

Nicolas Madsen, M.D., M.P.H., serves as Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Data Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he is Chief of Pediatric Cardiology. He concurrently holds leadership roles as Chief of Cardiology and Co-Director of The Heart Center at Children’s Health, and maintains a formal appointment at Aarhus University’s Department of Clinical Epidemiology in Denmark, enabling international epidemiological research on congenital heart disease (CHD) outcomes.

Education:

• M.D. and M.P.H. from the University of Washington
• Residency completed in 2008 at the University of Washington
• Epidemiology Fellowship completed in 2009 at the University of Washington
• Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship completed in 2012 at the University of Washington

Dr. Madsen’s research centers on acute care cardiology and long-term outcomes for children with CHD, utilizing population-based epidemiological methods. His work examines neurological complications, economic impacts, and care variation across healthcare systems, often through large-scale collaborations like the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3). He emphasizes translating research into quality improvement initiatives, particularly for hospitalized cardiac patients, and investigates health literacy barriers in caregiver education. His dual expertise in clinical cardiology and epidemiology drives innovative studies on stroke risk, dementia, and resource utilization in CHD populations.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2018-2020) reveals a dominant focus on CHD outcomes research, spanning epidemiological cohort studies, quality improvement science, and clinical interventions. Key themes include neurological complications (stroke, CNS infections), socioeconomic impacts, care standardization across centers, and innovative educational approaches for caregivers. His work consistently leverages multicenter networks and population datasets to address gaps in long-term CHD management.

Scientific Awards:

• Mentees have received international recognition including American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Heart Association (AHA) awards

Dr. Madsen actively mentors medical students, PhD candidates, post-doctoral fellows, and cardiology fellows, fostering the next generation of CHD researchers. His collaborative projects with the NIH and external institutions focus on designing evidence-based interventions for hospitalized cardiac patients. As co-founder and Executive Director of PAC3—an international network of 40+ hospitals—he leads quality improvement initiatives targeting alarm reduction, chest tube management, and length-of-stay optimization.

He co-founded and directs the Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3), driving system-wide improvements in acute cardiac care through data-sharing and collaborative science. Within Children’s Health, he co-leads The Heart Center, integrating clinical care, research, and education to advance CHD outcomes. His work bridges clinical practice, epidemiology, and health services research to transform care delivery for vulnerable cardiac populations.