Positions

Faculty

Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support
Baylor College of Medicine

Professional Statement

Dr. Erik E. Suarez is a cardiothoracic surgeon and incoming Director of Cardiothoracic Transplant and Circulatory Support at Baylor College of Medicine. For over a decade at Houston Methodist, he led heart, lung, and mechanical circulatory support programs, serving as Interim Chief of Cardiothoracic Transplantation. Under his leadership, heart transplant volumes nearly tripled and lung transplant volumes grew steadily, with both programs maintaining concurrent 5-star SRTR outcomes. He established one of the nation’s most robust bloodless lung transplant programs—featured in The New York Times—and guided Houston Methodist to the highest regional lung transplant volumes until 2024.

Dr. Suarez performed Texas’s first HeartMate 3 LVAD implant, ranked among the nation’s busiest surgeons in advanced MCS including Impella and ECMO, and spearheaded the transformation of ECMO into a dedicated program during the COVID-19 era. He has published extensively in leading journals such as NEJM, Nature, and Science Translational Medicine, and contributes to national advisory boards, clinical trials, and committees. A passionate mentor and educator, he founded multidisciplinary journal clubs across the Texas Medical Center to foster collaboration and innovation.