Attending Advisors
Ibrahim Sultan, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Ibrahim Sultan, MD, is one of TSMA's founding advisors and the Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He specializes in heart and lung transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and complex aortic surgery. A graduate of Cornell University, he is a dedicated mentor and educator recognized for his contributions to training the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons. The Ibrahim Sultan Medical Student Research Prize in Cardiothoracic Surgery is an award sponsored by Dr. Ibrahim Sultan. This award will be given annually to the First through Third Place Winners of the Annual TSMA Research Competition.
Dr. Rita Milewski, MD, PhD, Dr. Milewski is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Yale University, specializing in cardiac surgery with a focus on thoracic aortic disease and complex aortic surgery. She holds a PhD in Genetics and has served as a Principal Investigator for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s GenTAC (Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions) Registry. Additionally, Dr. Milewski is the Medical Director of the Yale Adult ECMO Program and has authored chapters on ECMO management. She is also the Cardiac Section Editor for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Curriculum and has contributed to the field of cardiothoracic surgery education.
Doraid Jarrar, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Doraid Jarrar, MD, is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology. He earned his medical degree in Munich, Germany, and completed residencies at UAB and Tufts Medical Center. As Associate Clerkship Director for Surgery, he is a dedicated mentor guiding medical students and residents. Dr. Jarrar’s research includes innovations in intraoperative molecular imaging and the management of complex thoracic conditions. During Dr. Jarrar’s Presidency of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society, he helped found the Longitudinal Research-Mentorship Program in collaboration with TSMA. This program is a 6 month curriculum for medical students that teaches and implements the fundamentals of academic research.
Yale Medicine
Rita Milewski, MD, PhD
George Arnaoutakis, MD
UT Austin Dell SOM
Dr. George Arnaoutakis, MD, is an Associate Professor and Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Dell Medical School, UT Austin. He specializes in thoracic aortic surgery, transcatheter valve procedures, and surgical outcomes research, focusing on socioeconomic impacts on patient care. A graduate of the University of Florida and Johns Hopkins, he completed a cardiothoracic fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Arnaoutakis has contributed to research improving surgical outcomes and is a dedicated mentor training future cardiothoracic surgeons.
Joanna Chikwe, MD
Cedars-Sinai
Dr. Joanna Chikwe, MD, is Chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute. She is a globally recognized expert in mitral valve repair and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, with over 125 peer-reviewed publications, including in the New England Journal of Medicine. A graduate of Oxford University, she completed her training in the UK and served as Professor and Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Chikwe has edited and authored three textbooks, including Cardiothoracic Surgery, and serves on editorial boards of major specialty journals.
Tara Karamlou, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Tara Karamlou, MD, MSc, is a pediatric and congenital heart surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and a Professor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University. She specializes in complex congenital heart repairs and leads the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center. Dr. Karamlou has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications, focusing on optimizing outcomes in congenital heart surgery. Dr. Tara Karamlou is a passionate educator, mentoring students and fellows and serving as a course director for advanced thoracic fellows. The Tara Karamlou Conference Travel Scholarship, an award sponsored by Dr. Tara Karamlou, will be given annually to support one TSMA member who is presenting a poster or oral presentation at a CT-surgery or CT-surgery adjacent conference, with an emphasis on supporting students with low resources and a lack of exposure to CT surgery at their institution.
Corbin Goerlich, MD
General Surgery Resident - Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Corbin Goerlich, MD, PhD, is a cardiothoracic surgery fellow at Stanford University, following his general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his medical degree from McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Dr. Goerlich is passionate about advancing surgical education and has contributed to research focused on improving the pipeline for aspiring cardiothoracic surgeons.
Resident Advisors
Jason Han, MD
I6 Resident - University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jason Han, MD, is an integrated cardiothoracic surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has contributed to research on the role of mentorship in shaping careers in cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Han is committed to mentoring medical students and residents while advancing patient care through his work in academic surgery. He is also the founder of The Modern Surgeon.