Vaughn Alden Starnes

Dr. Vaughn Alden Starnes is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He serves as Surgeon-in-Chief at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, and is the H. Russell Smith Foundation Chair for Cardiovascular Thoracic Research. As the founding Executive Director of the USC Cardiac and Vascular Institute, Dr. Starnes has built an interdisciplinary powerhouse comprised of clinicians and basic scientists exploring better and more innovative ways of treating heart disease. Under his leadership, USC surgeons have conducted more than 15,000 open heart surgeries to repair and replace valves or create coronary artery bypasses.

Dr. Starnes earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and completed his general surgery training at Vanderbilt University, where he also conducted two years of research in cardiothoracic physiology and pharmacology. He completed two years at Stanford University as a resident in cardiovascular surgery, and one year as chief resident in cardiac transplantation under the mentorship of cardiothoracic transplant pioneer Dr. Norman Shumway. In 1987, he accepted a fellowship in pediatric cardiovascular surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in London (now Great Ormond Street Hospital). When he returned to Stanford, he was appointed director of Stanford's heart-lung transplantation program. He joined USC in July 1992 and was appointed Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 1997 and Chairman of the Department of Surgery in 2008.

Dr. Starnes has extensive research interests in congenital heart disease, heart and lung transplantation, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and stem-cell therapy for heart failure. His work particularly focuses on the Ross procedure, mitral valve repair, and innovative approaches to treating Ebstein anomaly in both children and adults. He has pioneered the living-related double lobar lung transplant in 1993 and performed Southern California's first robotic heart operation in 2001 as part of a clinical trial evaluating remote surgical systems.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the Ross procedure across different age groups, management of Ebstein anomaly, and surgical techniques for complex congenital heart defects. His work bridges pediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgery, with particular attention to long-term outcomes, risk prediction, and innovative surgical approaches to challenging anatomical problems.

• Pasadena Magazine: Top Doctor (2014-2024)
• Mitral Foundation and American Heart Association: Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award (2023)
• Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons: Honorary Overseas Fellowship Award (2022)
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery: 100th President (2019-2020)
• University of Southern California: National Academy of Inventors (2017)
• USC: Presidential Medallion (2008)
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award (2013)

Dr. Starnes directs The Heart Institute at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and has pioneered innovative surgical techniques including the modified Starnes procedure for severe Ebstein anomaly in neonates. His research has been supported by numerous grants, including those investigating stem-cell therapy for heart failure and congenital heart defects, and clinical trials for new valve technology including percutaneous heart valve replacement. Under his leadership, the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Cardiac Program was ranked #3 by U.S. News and World Report in 2015.

Dr. Starnes oversees comprehensive cardiac and vascular research programs that integrate basic science with clinical applications. His laboratory and clinical teams focus on improving outcomes for patients with complex congenital heart defects, advancing minimally invasive approaches to cardiac surgery, and developing novel therapies for heart failure. The USC Cardiac and Vascular Institute under his direction serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration between surgeons, cardiologists, basic scientists, and engineers working to transform cardiovascular care.