Francis D. Pagani, M.D., Ph.D., is the Otto Gago MD Endowed Professor in Cardiac Surgery. Dr. Pagani’s clinical focus includes surgical therapies for advanced heart failure including heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, complex re-operative surgery for valvular heart disease, and surgical treatment for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  surgery for coronary artery disease. Dr. Pagani’s has an active research program supported, in part, by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). His research focuses on the bioengineering development and clinical testing of mechanical circulatory support devices in the treatment of end-stage heart disease, clinical health outcomes research, and use of stem cell transplantation for myocardial regeneration.  Dr. Pagani has dedicated his career to mentoring several field scientists.  This mentorship has served as the foundation for ANSWERHF.