Edward Felix Lin, MD

Dr. Geirsson is a renowned cardiac surgeon and the Director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Director of the Surgical Heart Valve Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. With an upbringing and medical education in Iceland, he honed his skills in General Surgery at Yale University and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania between 1998 and 2007. During his tenure at Yale as the Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery from 2007 to 2013, he made significant contributions to the field. Dr. Geirsson then returned to Iceland from 2013 to 2016, serving as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik. Driven by his passion for innovative approaches, he returned to Yale in 2016 and was appointed as the Chief of the Division of Cardiac Surgery in 2017. Dr. Geirsson's clinical practice focuses on minimally invasive cardiac surgery and valve surgery, specializing in robotic mitral valve repair and aortic valve repair. He achieved notable milestones by performing the first minimally right thoracotomy mitral valve surgery at YNHH in 2009 and the first robotic mitral valve surgery at YNHH in 2018. Moreover, his research endeavors encompass both basic and clinical science, concentrating on mitral valve prolapse and aortic aneurysm disease. With his expertise, dedication, and commitment to advancing cardiac surgery, Dr. Geirsson continues to make significant contributions to the field and improve patient outcomes.

Luigi Pirelli, MD, earned his medical degree and completed his cardiac surgery training at the University of Milan in Italy, followed by additional surgical training at New York University. He is a cardiac surgeon specializing in transcatheter valve therapies and surgical valve repair. Dr. Pirelli has particular expertise in minimally invasive approaches to complex valvular disease and is committed to collaborative, patient-centered care.

Kristin M Burkart, MD, MSc is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician and a Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She is the Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Training Program, the Medical Director of the Chest Clinic and the Course Director of the Pulmonary Section in The Body in Health and in Disease Medical School. Dr. Burkart cares for a diverse population of patients including patients from the surrounding Washington Heights neighborhood as well as tertiary and quaternary referrals for critical care management. She attends in the medical intensive care unit, the pulmonary consultative service, the critical care consultative service, and the chronic ventilator management service and is an active member on the Ethics Committee. Dr. Burkart’s clinical interests encompass hypoxemic respiratory failure including the use of Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), sepsis and medical ethics. Dr. Burkart is a leader in fellowship training and medical education with several current and past national leadership positions. She is a Past President and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors (APCCMPD), an organization whose mission is to provide leadership and support for fellowship training programs across the country. Dr. Burkart is the Chair of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Training Committee, Chair of the APCCMPD Education Committee and a Deputy Editor for ATS Scholar. Dr. Burkart is dedicated to providing an inclusive, equitable and diverse educational and research environment for her fellows that fosters their development into compassionate and exceptional clinical physicians, clinician-educators, and physician-investigators. Dr. Burkart graduated AOA from Albany Medical College, completed her residency and chief residency at the University of Colorado and completed her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. She has a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health.