Dr. Jacques Kpodonu

Dr. Jacques Kpodonu is classically trained as a cardiovascular surgeon with additional subspecialty training in endovascular surgery and has a broad clinical and research background in the subspecialty of cardiovascular hybrid surgery. He is the former founding director of the cardiac hybrid surgery program at the Jeffrey M Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute at Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital in Newport Beach, California. In this role, Dr. Kpodonu provided leadership for the establishment of Orange County’s first transcatheter aortic valve program. He is currently a practicing cardiac surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

Dr. Kpodonu's research interests are focused on the intersection of cardiac surgery. He has written extensively on implementing outcomes-based cardiovascular guidelines in emerging countries and serves as editor of the Global Health Series first edition textbook, “Cardiac Surgery Capacity Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.”

Dr. Kpodonu is actively involved in the education of medical students, surgical residents, and fellows locally within the Harvard Medical School community, regionally with graduates and PhD students from Tufts University, Northeastern University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and globally hosting quarterly educational webinars for the African Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Africa as well as students and faculty of the University of Ghana.

Dr. Kpodonu is the co-editor of 4 textbooks in the field of cardiovascular hybrid surgery. He has an editorial role with the Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (CTSNet Global Portal), where he oversees global cardiothoracic surgery education, research, and webinars for the largest network of cardiothoracic surgeons in the world. Dr. Kpodonu is actively involved in clinical innovation, and his current research innovation is focused on developing novel heart valve technology.

Dr. Kpodonu is an active member of several national and international professional organizations, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Vascular Surgery, the Association of Black Cardiologists, and the Ghana Medical Association. Dr. Kpodonu is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and currently serves in a leadership role in the Workforce for Diversity and Inclusion for the Society of Thoracic Surgery and the cardiac surgery leadership workforce of the American College of Cardiology.