Biography

Peymaun “Jarod” Vakhshoorzadeh, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Children’s Heart Institute, Division of Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine. He completed his medical school training at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, and he completed his pediatric residency training at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He subsequently went on to complete dual subspecialty fellowship training in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Pediatric Cardiology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis.

As one of the core educators for the Cardiac Critical Care Division, Dr. Vakhshoorzadeh is dedicated to educational scholarship. He currently serves as the Program Director for the advanced Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine fellowship and is the physician lead for simulations at the Children’s Heart Institute. Dr. Vakhshoorzadeh’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the pay-it-forward mentality, aiming to help learners become ‘the best version of themselves.’ He employs a constructivist learning model to foster critical thinking in a practical, experiential, and engaging environment. In recognition of his dedication to teaching and educational excellence within the graduate medical education community, he was inducted into the UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School Academy of Master Educators in 2025.

Education

Medical School
The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont
Residency
Pediatrics, Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Fellowship
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis
Fellowship
Pediatric Cardiology, St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

Clinical Interests: Single Ventricle Palliation, Interstage Home Monitoring, Clinical Simulation, Fellow and Nursing Education

Research Interests: Medical Education, Curriculum Development and Validation, Clinical Simulation, Evaluation of Critical Thinking and Team Dynamics in High-Pressure Environments, Education Technology, High Fidelity Simulation Programs including Virtual Reality Based Learning

Educational Projects:
Dr. Vakhshoorzadeh is actively involved in educational research projects including simulation-based curricula for increasing nursing confidence and improving team-based communication and performance in high risk deteriorations. He remains active within both the Children’s Heart Institute and within UTHealth as a lecturer, and has created of a self-paced digital learning resource platform on Canvas to support continuous professional development.