Mario F.L. Gaudino, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Gaudino completed his undergraduate studies and earned his medical degree in Rome, Italy at the University of Rome, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in 1994. He subsequently completed his residency in 1999 at the same University and joined the faculty there in 2000 where he remained until 2014, when he joined the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. He completed an Advanced Cardiovascular/Aortic Aneurysm Surgery Fellowship in 2016 and was recruited to stay on staff as Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon at NewYork Presbyterian|Weill Cornell Medicine and in 2017 he was elevated to the position of Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Professor in Cardiothoracic Surgery (II).

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Gaudino is currently the Assistant Dean for Clinical Trials, Director for the Joint Clinical Trials Office (JCTO), and the Director of Translational and Clinical Research for the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.  In his role, Dr. Gaudino oversees ongoing clinical trials and provides strategic growth plans to increase investigator-initiated trials, pragmatic trials, and ongoing improvements and enhancements to the existing clinical trial infrastructure.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Gaudino has published more than 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, and public health fields in high impact journals including first author in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet and the Journal of the American Medical Association as well as numerous book chapters. He is currently the lead investigator of an international, randomized, controlled trial which aims to determine the optimal strategy for coronary artery bypass surgery (the ROMA trial) and STICH3C, an international, randomized controlled trial that will be the first in comparing the outcomes of PCI and CABG in patients with low ejection fraction. He recently completed a significant study that demonstrated the benefits of posterior left pericardiotomy for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation in cardiac surgery patients. He is a frequently invited speaker at national and international meetings to share his exquisite knowledge of coronary artery bypass surgery and the use of multiple arterial grafts.

Dr. Gaudino currently serves as the Chair of the Coronary Artery Surgery Task Force of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery as well as the Chair of the Participant User File (PUF) Review Task Force of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Adult Cardiac Subcommittee).  He also serves the Vice-Chair of the AHA Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia CVSA Education and Publications Committee.

As a known advocate for scientific integrity and surgical quality, Dr. Gaudino is often called upon to serve on guideline writing committees to help set standards for cardiac surgery both nationally and internationally. Recently, Dr. Gaudino served as Chair of the writing committee for Methodological Standards for the Design, Implementation, and Analysis of Randomized Trials in Cardiac Surgery: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Dr. Gaudino’s interests include all aspects of adult cardiac surgery. Along with his expert training and knowledge in coronary artery bypass surgery, including the use of multiple arterial grafting (radial artery conduits, the use of bilateral internal mammary arteries), Dr. Gaudino also specializes in structural heart disease, valvular dysfunction and complex aortic procedures.