Our Research
The Division of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery is committed to transforming the care of children with congenital and acquired heart disease through rigorous, multidisciplinary research. Our team integrates clinical expertise, data science, and translational investigation to investigate survival, enhance quality of life, and shape the future of pediatric cardiac care.
Andrew Well, MD, MPH, MSHCT leads our outcomes‑focused research enterprise with an emphasis on lifelong patient‑ and family-centered outcomes, value-based care delivery, health services research, and implementation science. His work bridges clinical care, data analytics, qualitative methods, and real‑world evidence to ensure that discoveries translate into meaningful improvements for children and families.
Garrett Coyan MD, MS directs an active translational clinical laboratory focused on cardiovascular disease. His lab supports advanced medical devices and therapy testing across a variety of experimental models, enabling rapid evaluation of novel technologies and accelerating the path from concept to clinical application. This work strengthens the division’s ability to innovate surgical techniques, device development, and perioperative care.
In 2011, David Bichell, MD spearheaded the Vanderbilt Pediatric Cardiac Tissue Repository, processed and stored within the Core Lab for Translational and Clinical Research in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. This biorepository has become a vital platform supporting diverse studies across congenital heart disease and related disciplines.
Learn more about our most recent publications and abstracts below.
Publications
Physical therapy enhances patient care in post‑congenital heart surgery clinic.
Barr SM, Modi H, Krauklis K, Morton L, Fraser CD Jr, Mery CM, Well A, Taylor MD.
Cardiology in the Young. 2026.
Impact of Neighborhood and Individual Social Drivers of Health on Outcomes Following Congenital Heart Surgery.
Well A, Van Diest H, Anderson BR, Zhang W, Carberry K, Lamari‑Fisher A, Affolter JT, Gottlieb EA, Jacobs JP, Fraser CD Jr, Mery CM.
World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery. 2026.
Initial pediatric experience of preserving cardiac allografts in a 10°C cooler.
Coyan G, Ragoowansi J, Well A, Bichell D, Shah A, Harris R, West C, Byrne R, Wang CC, Mery C, Bearl D, Beckerman Z.
Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. 2026.
Pediatric Marfan Syndrome and Heart Transplantation: Insights From the PHIS Database.
Philip SS, Martinez HR, Mikulski MF, Well A, Jani S, Glass L, Fraser CD, Castleberry C.
Pediatric Transplantation. 2025.
The Ross Procedure: Historical Context, Modern Outcomes, and the Road Ahead.
Eidson C, Well A, Turek J, Mery CM, Beckerman Z.
Current Cardiology Reports. 2025.
In‑hospital Outcomes of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Admissions for Acute Infective Endocarditis in Congenital Heart Disease.
Elsisy MF, Ruth T, Coyan G, Dulek DE, Parra D.
Pediatric Cardiology. 2025.
Position: Thematic Analysis of Unstructured Clinical Transcripts with Large Language Models.
Yi S, Nguyen J, Lim T, Well A, Skrovan J, Beri M, Lee Y, Radhakrishnan K, Leqi L, Markey M, Ding Y.
GenAI4Health. 2025.
Pre‑Transplant Diagnosis Asserts Significant Post‑Transplant Burden on Readmissions and Reinterventions: A Multicenter Study.
O’Connor M, Well A, Martinez HR, Norris LR, Das B, Deshpande SR.
Pediatric Transplantation. 2025.
Incidence and Outcomes of Pericardial Effusion After Congenital Heart Surgery.
O’Connor M, Mery CM, Venardos NM, Affolter J, Fraser C, Well A.
WJPCHS. 2025.
Psychosocial screening and interventions in congenital heart surgery: optimising patient and family outcomes.
Hoyos ME, Well A, O’Connor M, Van Diest H, Lopez H, Mery CM, Fraser CD Jr, Lamari‑Fisher A.
Cardiology in the Young. 2025.
Acute rupture of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with dehiscence of the tricuspid valve. Marlowe M, Weiner J, Flack E, Mathis C, Christian K, Coyan GN.
JTCVS Techniques. 2025.
In Vitro Evaluation of Biomaterials for Heart Valve Prosthesis: High Hydrostatic and Enzymatic Treatments as Alternative for Bio‑Derived Materials.
Vella D, Boodagh P, De Mohac LM, Ye S‑H, Cosentino F, Scaglione F, Dei Bardi S, Polizzi G, Coyan G, Wagner WR, Burriesci G, D’Amore A.
Journal of Biomedical Research Part B. 2025.
Photooxidation Cross‑Linked, Glutaraldehyde Cross‑Linked, or Enzyme and Hydrostatic Pressure Processed Decellularized Biomaterials for Cardiovascular Repair Do Not Affect Host Response in a Rat Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction (RVOT) Model.
Boodagh P, De Mohac LM, Hayashi Y, Vella D, Ye S‑H, Cosentino F, Fujii T, Gorge E, Coyan G, Soto JDL, Burriesci G, Wagner WR, D’Amore A.
Journal of Biomedical Research Part B. 2025.
Abstracts
Thriving After Pediatric Heart Transplantation: Examining the Impact of Social Drivers of Health on Days Alive Out of Healthcare
Well A, Piplani A, West C, Coyan G, Harris R, Christian K, Bichell D, Orr Y, Mery CM, Beckerman Z, Bearl DW.
American College of Cardiology (ACC) Conference. 2026.
Variability in Oxygen Delivery Index During Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is Associated With Acute Kidney Injury in Neonates Undergoing Cardiac Surgery
Burrell S, Lucas E, Well A, Mery CM, Michaud N.
AMSECT Conference. 2026.
Temperature Goldilocks: A Comparison of Static Storage Options in Pediatric Heart Transplantation
Coyan G, Wang CC, Ragoowansi J, Well A, West C, Christian K, Harris R, Bichell D, Shah A, Mery C, Bearl D, Beckerman Z.
Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Conference. 2026.
Initial Pediatric Experience of Preserving Cardiac Allografts in a 10°C Cooler
Coyan G, Ragoowansi J, Well A, Bichell D, Harris R, West C, Bearl D, Shah A, Christian K, Mery C, Beckerman Z.
Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society (CHSS) Annual Meeting. 2025.