Dr. Leonard Girardi Honored Speaker at Stanford's Eighth Dr. Lawrence H. and Mrs. Roberta Cohn Visiting Professor Lecture

by Lynn U. Nichols
October 30, 2025

The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was pleased to welcome Leonard N. Girardi, MD, as the Eighth Dr. Lawrence H. and Mrs. Roberta Cohn Visiting Professor to speak on Stanford's campus on September 29, 2025. The department was especially delighted that the late Dr. Cohn's wife, Roberta, and daughter, Jennifer, joined them for the lecture.

Dr. Girardi is the O. Wayne Isom Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is also the Cardiothoracic Surgeon-in-Chief at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In his role, Dr. Girardi oversees clinical operations across three campuses while also leading the department's core missions in research and education.

"Dr. Girardi is one of the world's experts in valve-sparing root replacement for aortic valve repair, and we all learned so much from him about not only the procedure, but about delivering excellence in clinical care, academics, and leadership," said Joseph Woo, MD, Chair and Norman E. Shumway Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

The lecture series' namesake, Dr. Cohn, was a world-renowned expert in valve repair and replacement surgery and pioneered advancements in minimally invasive heart valve surgery, among many other innovations. Dr. Girardi began his lecture by speaking fondly of having known Dr. Cohn and expressing respect for his accomplishments. He then reviewed the history of aortic root surgery and the shift to valve-sparing over the years.

"Valve-sparing surgeries for the aortic root barely existed when I trained," said Dr. Girardi, who reflected on his experience in the specialty over time at Weill Cornell Medicine. He further added that, compared to the early years of their aortic root surgery program, today more than 40% of all these surgeries are valve-sparing.

Dr. Girardi also reviewed advanced aortic procedures for complex cases, including the application of the Ross procedure for conditions where valve-sparing is not an option, and other innovative techniques developed at Stanford. He encouraged critical analysis of results on valve-sparing root replacements for both the short and long term, as well as consideration of whether it is the right procedure for the right patient.

"I urge all the young faculty and the trainees to please walk before you run," he said. "Surgical technique is critical for this particular operation, and that requires practice, practice, and more practice."

Dr. Girardi has served on the boards of both the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) and the National Marfan Foundation. He is currently Vice President of the AATS and is in line (following Dr. Woo's AATS presidency in 2026) to serve as the 108th AATS President in 2027.

Dr. Girardi earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his surgical residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and his cardiovascular fellowship at Baylor College.

The talk was part of the annual Cohn Visiting Professorships lecture series hosted by the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. It took place at the James H. Clark Center Auditorium and was attended by faculty, residents, staff, and medical students.