Damien J. LaPar, MD, MSc

Biography

Damien J. LaPar, MD, MSc, is the Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, Executive Co-Director of the UTHealth Houston Children’s Heart Institute, and Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School.  He is honored to serve as the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair.  In addition, Dr. LaPar is the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the UTHealth Houston Center for Innovation in Congenital Heart Disease.

Dr. LaPar is a triple board-certified pediatric cardiac surgeon with specialized certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery for the practice of pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery.  He specializes in treating congenital cardiac lesions in patients of all ages with innovative approaches to complex neonatal cardiac reconstructions with complete single-stage repairs, pulmonary artery atresia and stenosis with MAPCA unifocalization, biventricular repair and/or conversion, peripheral pulmonary stenosis, Williams syndrome, Ozaki aortic valve reconstruction and complex aortic valve disease, atrioventricular canal defects, Tetralogy of Fallot, and minimally invasive approaches to pediatric cardiac surgery.  Dr. LaPar has specific expertise in the surgical repair of the most complex neonatal and infant congenital heart defects with complete single-stage repairs, as well as in the full range of congenital heart disease that affects all children, adolescents and adults.

His dedication to academic pediatric and congenital heart surgery is deeply rooted in his desire to advance the treatment of congenital heart disease and to make a difference in the lives of children and their families through compassionate patient care, innovative research and scholarship, and professional leadership. He is committed to helping patients and their families overcome what may be one of their most significant and challenging times in life, in an approachable, down-to-earth, and honest environment.

Dr. LaPar is the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the Center for Innovation in Congenital Heart Disease, housed within the Children’s Heart Institute.  The Center is a multidisciplinary research hub dedicated to advancing care for patients with congenital heart disease through innovation at the intersection of cardiovascular biology, bioengineering, and precision medicine. By integrating cutting-edge technologies, biomanufacturing platforms, and translational collaborations, the Center for Innovation in Congenital Heart Disease develops next-generation diagnostics, therapies, and interventions to improve outcomes across the lifespan. Dr. LaPar is an internationally recognized investigator in basic and translational science, as well as a clinical science researcher, serving as the director of research and academic affairs for the Children’s Heart Institute. His funded congenital heart disease research lab focuses on investigating vascular smooth muscle signaling in congenital arteriopathy and developing innovative myocardial reconditioning and restorative therapies. His focused research includes extensive multi-institutional clinical research collaboratives and clinical trials.

Dr. LaPar completed training in congenital heart surgery at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital.  Dr. LaPar previously practiced in New York City at Columbia University and the combined New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Weill Cornell Komansky Children’s Hospital’s Congenital Heart Surgery Program, where he served as director of pediatric cardiac surgery at Weill Cornell and co-director of Outcomes and Quality at the Congenital Heart Center.

Damien J. LaPar, MD, MSc | UT Physicians

Damien LaPar, MD, MSc | Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital