Rate My Professor Christophe Mascio

Christopher E. Mascio, MD, serves as Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine. He is also the Executive Director of the WVU Medicine Children's Heart Center and Director of the WVU Children's Heart Institute's Pediatric Heart Transplant program. In these roles, Mascio leads pediatric cardiac services, overseeing complex surgeries for congenital heart defects and advancing heart failure, transplant, and ventricular assist device programs at WVU Medicine Children's Hospital.

Mascio received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1993 and his Doctor of Medicine from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 1997. He completed a General Surgery Residency at Loyola University Chicago from 1997 to 2002, followed by Cardiothoracic Surgery Research at the University of Iowa from 2002 to 2003 and Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency there from 2003 to 2005. He then pursued a Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellowship at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from 2005 to 2006. His academic career progressed with appointments as Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville from 2006 to 2013 and as Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania from 2013 to 2021. Since joining West Virginia University in 2021, Mascio has driven growth in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, including the establishment of specialized centers and achievement of milestones such as the first successful pediatric heart transplants.

Mascio's research interests center on outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery, including the relationship between hospital volume and quality, neonatal interventions for tetralogy of Fallot, and innovative surgical techniques for atrioventricular valve repair and ventricular assist devices. He has contributed over 212 research works, accumulating more than 3,189 citations. Notable publications include 'Volume Alone Does Not Predict Quality Outcomes in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery' (Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2024), 'Commentary: Shaking Trees, Falling Apples' (Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2024), and 'Clinical Status and Reintervention in Neonates with Symptomatic Tetralogy of Fallot' (JACC: Advances, 2025). Under his leadership, the WVU Medicine Children's ECMO team received national recognition in 2023. His expertise influences clinical practices in congenital heart surgery nationwide.