Research | Cardiothoracic Surgery | Emory Department of Surgery

Division Chief

Michael E. Halkos, MD, MSc

Dr. Michael E. Halkos is an experienced academic cardiac surgeon scientist, with expertise in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, including robotic mitral and coronary surgery, and hybrid revascularization. He is currently Professor and Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University, overseeing 32 faculty surgeons and scientists at 8 Emory-owned or affiliated hospitals. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Emory Heart and Vascular Center and he is Director of the Cardiothoracic Center for Clinical Research. His clinical focus is on robotic-assisted mitral valve surgery, robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass surgery, hybrid coronary revascularization, and mitral valve repair techniques.

Dr. Halkos has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and given over 200 invited lectures and abstract presentations at international and national meetings. He also serves as the Program Director for the Cardiothoracic Surgery residency program at Emory University. Emory Healthcare currently performs 3,000 adult cardiac surgical operations and 1700 thoracic surgical cases annually. The congenital cardiac surgery program is one of the largest in the country with over 700 pediatric and neonatal cases annually.

The Carlyle Fraser Cardiothoracic Research Laboratories serve as our primary focus for basic and translational research in cardiothoracic investigation. There are currently 3 cardiac surgeon-scientists and 2 Phd basic scientists in the Carlyle Fraser Laboratories with a focus on innovation and translational science in major areas of cardiothoracic surgical investigation. These include biomechanics of aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections, heart and lung transplant rejection mechanisms, biomarkers to identify ways to mitigate transplant rejection, mechanisms of right ventricular failure, structural heart disease and congenital cardiac surgery. Investigators currently work in a multidisciplinary fashion with other investigators at Emory University as well as the Georgia Institute of Technology. The goal of the Carlyle Fraser Laboratories is to be the leading academic cardiothoracic institution in the United States with excellence in basic and translational research.

Clinical Outcomes Research

The Four Pillars of the Division's clinical outcomes research program are Robotic Mitral Valve Repair and Robotic CABG, Off-Pump CABG, Heart and Lung Transplant Outcomes, and Mechanical Circulatory Support (LVAD/Impella).

Clinical Outcomes Research

Labs

Bishawi Lab

Based at Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Tech, the Bishawi lab develops translational technologies to transform the treatment of end-stage heart and lung disease. Our work bridges cardiac surgery, transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, gene therapy, organ preservation, and biomedical engineering

The Bishawi Lab is led by Muath Bishawi, MD, PhD, and focuses on developing new approaches to organ preservation, ex vivo perfusion, cardiac gene delivery, and device-based therapies for patients with advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.

Aortic Research Lab

The Emory Aortic Translational Research Lab is focused on understanding the complex interactions between blood flow and the aortic wall in the context of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. An improved understanding of this pathophysiology will lead to changes in treatment paradigms and improved clinical outcomes for patients with thoracic aortic disease.

Led by principal investigator Bradley G. Leshnower, MD, the Emory Aortic Translational Research Lab is dedicated to investigating the pathophysiology and outcomes of patients with thoracic aortic disease by using novel biomechanical and radiographic methods of research.