School of Medicine


Showing 1-12 of 12 Results

  • Leah Backhus

    Leah Backhus

    Thelma and Henry Doelger Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery

    BioLeah Backhus trained in general surgery at the University of Southern California and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of California Los Angeles. She practices at Stanford Hospital and is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the VA Palo Alto. Her surgical practice consists of general thoracic surgery with special emphasis on thoracic oncology and minimally invasive surgical techniques. She also has special clinical expertise in adult chest wall surgery (including pectus excavated) and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (used to treat mesothelioma and other pleural tumors). She is Co-Director of the Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Program, and has grant funding through the Veterans Affairs Administration and NIH. Her current research interests are in imaging surveillance following treatment for lung cancer and cancer survivorship. She is a member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable of the American Cancer Society and the Task Group on Health Equity. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. As an educator, Dr. Backhus is the Associate Program Director for the Thoracic Track Residency and is former Chair of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Thoracic Surgery.

  • Edward Bender

    Edward Bender

    Clinical Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery

    BioDr. Edward Bender specializes in the treatment of adult cardiac abnormalities, including ischemic heart disease, structural and valvular disease, and arrhythmias. Additionally, he has an interest and expertise in General Thoracic and Vascular surgery. Dr. Bender currently works with organizations within the medical community to develop software to aid in the teaching and practice of medicine.

  • Mark Francis Berry, MD

    Mark Francis Berry, MD

    Mylavarapu Rogers Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery

    BioDr. Berry joined the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Stanford in August 2014. He came to Stanford from Duke University, where he had most recently served as Associate Professor. He received his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine after receiving bachelors and masters degrees in Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center after performing a residency in General Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His Cardiothoracic Surgical training included a year dedicated to Minimally Invasive General Thoracic Surgery, a period that also included an American Association for Thoracic Surgery sponsored Traveling Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Dr. Berry practices all aspects of thoracic surgery, including procedures for benign and malignant conditions of the lung, esophagus, and mediastinum. He has a particular interest in minimally invasive techniques, and has extensive experience in treating thoracic surgical conditions using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS), laparoscopic, robotic, endoscopic, and bronchoscopic approaches. He serves as the co-Director of the Stanford Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Center (SMITS), and has both directed and taught in several minimally invasive thoracic surgery courses.

    Dr. Berry also has a Masters of Health Sciences in Clinical Research from Duke University. His clinical research activities mirror his clinical interests and activities in optimizing short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with thoracic surgical conditions. He has more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, most of which are related to both the use of minimally invasive thoracic surgical techniques as well as evaluating outcomes after treatment of thoracic malignancies. His clinical practice and his research both focus on choosing the most appropriate treatment and approach for patients based on the individual characteristics of the patient and their disease process.

  • Mary Sheridan Bilbao, MPAS, PA-C

    Mary Sheridan Bilbao, MPAS, PA-C

    Physician Asst-Rsch, Cardiothoracic Surgery

    BioMary Sheridan Bilbao, PA-C, FAPACVS, is an accomplished advanced practice provider specializing in Cardiothoracic Surgery. She earned both her Undergraduate degree and Masters of Physician Assistant Studies at Marywood University. With extensive experience in cardiothoracic surgery, Mary became an integral part of our team in 2014.

    Her expertise spans both in-patient and outpatient care, where she actively participates in surgical procedures and contributes to various studies and laboratory research. Mary's proficiency extends to open and endoscopic vein harvesting, radial artery harvesting, valve replacements, minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair/replacements, ascending aorta/aortic dissection/aortic arch repair/replacements, redo surgeries, coronary artery bypass grafting (off and on-pump), robotic-assisted minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting, minimally invasive myocardial bridge unroofing, heart/lung transplants, VADs, and ECMO.

    Beyond her clinical duties, Mary plays a crucial role in training new PAs, NPs, APP fellows, residents, and medical students in various surgical skills. In the clinic, she performs history & physicals, pre-op evaluations, orders/interprets studies & labs, and coordinates in-patient and out-patient care.

    Since January 2015, Mary has been the driving force behind the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery's Human Biorepository Tissue Bank. This initiative has amassed over 1,000 human cardiothoracic tissue samples, fostering approved studies to advance cardiovascular and pulmonary disease research. Collaborating with over 30 partners and Stanford labs, Mary's goal is to facilitate research by providing cardiothoracic tissue samples to researchers and scientists across Stanford Medicine.

    Currently, Mary holds the position of Principal Academic and Clinical Integration Developer in the CT Surgery Department, further highlighting her leadership role in our institution. In this capacity, she plays a pivotal role in curating and developing marketing materials and outreach strategies for the department. Mary's dedication extends beyond clinical excellence; she actively contributes to fostering academic growth and enhancing the department's visibility. Her strategic approach to marketing ensures that the department's achievements and advancements in cardiothoracic surgery are effectively communicated to the broader medical community and the public, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in patient care, research, and education.

    Furthermore, Mary has been an esteemed member of Dr. Joseph Woo's Stanford Advanced Cardiovascular Therapeutics and Surgical Biomechanics Translational Research Laboratory (Woo Lab) since 2012. Her involvement in numerous clinical trials and published research underscores her commitment to advancing the field of cardiovascular medicine. Learn more about Woo Lab at http://med.stanford.edu/woolab.html.

  • Thomas Burdon

    Thomas Burdon

    Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Adult Cardiac Surgery)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsNew technologies in the area of catheters, clamps, and, visualization devices for aid in cardiac surgery; distribution of, cardioplegia, both anterograde and retrograde as determined by, techniques in technetium pyro-phosphate scans; glucose insulin, potassium as an adjunct in cardiac surgery.

  • Elan Chanel Burton, MD, MHA

    Elan Chanel Burton, MD, MHA

    Clinical Associate Professor, Cardiothoracic Surgery

    BioDr. Burton is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon. She is also a clinical associate professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Section Chief for Stanford Medicine Affiliates.

    She offers her patients exceptional expertise in advanced cardiothoracic surgical techniques. For each patient, she develops a customized, comprehensive, and compassionate care plan.

    Dr. Burton has completed specialized training in robotic technique for minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB). This procedure enables surgical access to the heart with a smaller incision than other coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures.

    In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Burton has conducted research on health disparities in cardiovascular disease, diversity in radiology and molecular imaging, and other topics. She received an innovation research grant from the National Science Foundation for her work on an app for emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dr. Burton has made presentations to her peers as a guest lecturer on subjects including coronary artery disease, primary cardiac tumors, and minimally invasive cardiac surgery. In addition, she has made presentations to the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, American Heart Association, International Conference on Clinical Ethics and Consultation, and other organizations.

    Dr. Burton has published articles on advanced surgical techniques as well as issues such as balancing work and family during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus health disparities, biases in healthcare, and social determinants of health. Her work has appeared in the JAMA Network Open, Journal of Cardiac Surgery, JTCVS Techniques, International Social Work, and elsewhere.

    Dr. Burton has earned honors including the Coleman Connolly Award in Thoracic Surgery, which recognizes the exemplary efforts of thoracic surgery residents. She also won the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Resident Achievement Award and the Dr. Albert G. Marrangoni Research Award.

    She is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine, Lillehei Surgical Society, Women in Thoracic Surgery, Western Thoracic Surgical Association, American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety, Women Health Care Executives, Association of Women Surgeons, Society of Black Academic Surgeons, and American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management.

    She has volunteered her time and expertise as a high school medical club faculty mentor, as an elementary school community health nutrition interventionist, and with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.