University of California San Francisco

Jason Smith, MD
Jason W.
Smith
MD, FACS

Division Chief & Professor of Surgery
Helen and Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor of Surgery 
Program Director for the Advanced Fellowship in Cardiac Transplantation & MCS
Division of Cardiac Surgery and Lung Transplantation
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Co-Director, Heart and Vascular Center, UCSF Health 
 

Academic Office: 
513 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 309F, Box 0118
San Francisco, CA 94143
Phone: 415-353-8890
Email: Jason.Smith2@ucsf.edu 
Assistant: Iamina.Racine@ucsf.edu 

Cardiac Surgery Program
400 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 501, Box 0957
San Francisco, CA, 94143
Tel: 415-353-1606
Fax: 415-353-1312

Heart Transplant Program
400 Parnassus Avenue, Suite 501, Box 0115
San Francisco, CA 94143
Tel: 415-502-4243
Fax: 415-502-0243

Biography

Dr. Jason W. Smith is a cardiac and transplant surgeon who specializes in heart transplantation and the use of mechanical circulatory support, such as artificial heart pumps and left ventricular assist devices. He has expertise in complex cardiac procedures that include mitral valve repair and replacement, aortic valve surgery, transcatheter aortic valve procedures (minimally invasive techniques to replace a failing valve), surgeries to treat the ascending aorta and aortic arch, treatment of endocarditis (infections of the heart's inner lining), operations to correct atrial fibrillation (irregular and often rapid heartbeats), and sternal repair and reconstruction. He also manages extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which supports the heart and lungs by using a machine to oxygenate blood outside of the body. He is the surgical director of UCSF's heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support programs.

Smith has been active in a national effort to increase access to heart transplantation by improving the use of donor organs. He served as a primary investigator for a nationwide clinical trial on donation after cardiac death.

Smith earned his medical degree from the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago, then completed a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. He completed a fellowship in heart and lung transplantation at Stanford Medicine. Upon completing his training, he joined the surgical faculty at the University of Washington. Prior to joining UCSF, he served as surgical director of transplant and mechanical circulatory support at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Smith serves on the membership and professional standards committee of the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. He frequently makes presentations on issues related to organ transplantation and utilization and belongs to numerous professional and honorary societies. He is a San Francisco native.

Education

Institution Degree Dept or School End Date
Stanford University Hospital and Clinics Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support 06/2012
Loyola University Medical Center Cardiothoracic Surgery 06/2011
Loyola University Medical Center General Surgery 06/2009
Loyola University Medical Center, Burn Shock Trauma Center Research Fellowship 06/2005
Loyola University Medical School MD Medicine 06/2002
Baylor University BA University Scholar 12/1993

Board Certifications

American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery

Clinical Expertise

Heart Transplant

Total Artificial Heart support

left ventricular assist devices

minimally invasive LVAD surgery

Acute heart support

Extra Corporeal membrane oxygenator support (ECMO)

aortic valve repair and replacement

transcatheter aortic valve procedures

mitral valve replacement

mitral valve repair

tricuspid valve repair and replacement

endocarditis

ascending aortic aneurysm

aortic arch aneurysm

reoperative heart surgery

atrial fibrillation surgery

cardiac tumors

Clinical Trials

  1. Related Conditions: Heart Transplant, Transplants| Start Date: | End Date:

In the News

May, 16, 2022 | UCSF Department of Surgery

Research Interests

Organ donor utilization

DCD heart donation

ex-vivo heart perfusion

normothermic regional perfusion

Publications

MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 54
  1. Filling the tank: A multicenter investigation of trauma survival after ultramassive transfusion.
    Grady ZJ, Nguyen J, Meyer CH, Moran TP, Rowh M, Zhang A, Harfouche MN, Greiffenstein P, Trinh S, Inaba K, Nekooei N, Filiberto DM, Jones Sayyid CE, Gutierrez A, Meizoso JP, Risinger WB, Smith JW, Jacovides CL, Trausch ED, McNickle AG, Kumar A, Choron RL, Ross SW, Sanderfer VC, Sciarretta J, Smith RN| | PubMed
  2. Plasma resuscitation restores glomerular hyaluronic acid and mitigates hemorrhage-induced glomerular dysfunction.
    Risinger WB, Matheson PJ, Franklin ME, Lakshmanan J, Li Y, Harbrecht BG, Smith JW| | PubMed
  3. A response to Henderson et al.'s commentary on Smith and Mayo (2024).
    Smith JW, Mayo A| | PubMed
  4. PLASMA UTILIZATION EXACERBATES RENAL CORTEX INFLAMMATION IN A RODENT MODEL OF HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK AND RESUSCITATION.
    Risinger WB, Matheson PJ, Franklin ME, Hammond VR, Lakshmanan J, Pushpakumar S, Li Y, Volk EE, Harbrecht BG, Smith JW| | PubMed
  5. Beyond Glasgow Coma Scale: Prehospital prediction of traumatic brain injury.
    Schucht JE, Rakhit S, Smith MC, Han JH, Brown JB, Grigorian A, Gondek SP, Smith JW, Patel MB, Maiga AW| | PubMed
  6. Structural racism: A concept analysis.
    Smith JW, Mayo A| | PubMed
  7. Distance to Burn Center Does Not Impact Long-term Anxiety and Depression Risk Following Burn Injury.
    Risinger WB, Dye CN, Thompson SK, Uma CV, Keeven DD, Nash NA, Smith JW, Bozeman MC| | PubMed
  8. Six Square Miles of Urban America: Association Between Firearm Discharge, Injury, and Fatality.
    Risinger WB, Uma CV, Benns MV, Ruther MH, Nash NA, Bozeman MC, Coleman JJ, Smith JW, Harbrecht BG, Miller KR| | PubMed
  9. Phase I clinical trial of the feasibility and safety of direct peritoneal resuscitation in liver transplantation.
    Rodriguez IE, Asher ZP, Klingenberg K, Wright FL, Nydam TL, Adams MA, Bababekov YJ, Peltz E, Smith JW, Saben JL, Kennealey P, Pomposelli JJ, Pomfret EA, Moore HB| | PubMed
  10. Coagulopathy in Penetrating Ballistic Cranial Trauma: A 7-Year Experience.
    Alhourani A, Stephenson TL, Bridwell EM, Danehower SE, Walek KW, Smith JW, Sieg E| | PubMed