69886-Pereira, Sara

Sara J. Pereira, MD

Professor of Surgery

Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Co-Director Cardiovascular Institute

Address
EH 200
SCRD
IN
Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Sara J. Pereira, MD, FACS, currently serves as Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, assuming the role of Division Chief and Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Institute in September 2025. Dr. Sara J. Pereira received her medical degree from the University of California at Irvine in 1997 and her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1993.

Prior to joining Indiana University, Pereira served as Professor of Surgery, Program Director for the Thoracic Surgery Residency Programs, and Surgical Director of the Structural Heart Program at the University of Utah.  She has served as the site Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials at the University of Utah, including the ROMA Multi-Arterial Grafting in Women, ALLIANCE Valve-in-Valve Mitral Valve Replacement, and TAVR vs SAVR in patients younger than 65.

Her clinical focus is in Adult Cardiac Surgery and includes Re-operative Cardiac Surgery, Transcatheter and Minimally Invasive Valve Operations, and Multi-Arterial Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Pereira’s research focus is in transcatheter valve procedures, low flow low gradient aortic stenosis, and the relevance of social determinants of health and health disparities to outcomes in cardiothoracic surgery. She has contributed to over fifty peer-reviewed publications and invited editorial manuscripts.

Pereira is a member of multiple national organizations, including the American Association of Thoracic Surgery (AATS), Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), and Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS).  She currently serves as Secretary of Women in Thoracic Surgery, Chair of the STS Workforce on Inclusion and Belonging (formerly DEI), Chair of the STS Looking to the Future Scholarship Program, Chair of the Faculty Development Committee for Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA), and is a member of the WTS and TSDA Executive Leadership Boards. She was elected to the Thoracic Surgery Resident Review Committee (RRC) in 2024 for a six-year term. 

Key Publications

  1. Schäfer M, Glotzbach JP, Sharma V, Tandar A, Welt FG, L Goodwin M, Smego D, Selzman CH,?Pereira SJ?(2025). Aortic shape and diameter variations are predictive of short-term complications?in transcatheter aortic valve replacement.?Int J Cardiovasc Imaging,?41(5), 955-965. DOI:?10.1007/s10554-025-03381-2

  1. Enofe N,Tompkins A,Cooke DT,Freeman K,DiMaio JM,Merrill W,Erkmen CP,Pereira S,Backhus?LM,Bostock Rosenzweig IC,Bowen D,Cooke DT,Erhunmwunsee L,Freeman K,Godoy L,Kozik?D,Kpodonu J,Lagisetty KH,Pelletier GJ,Sihag S,Wallace AF,Wilder F,Wood DE,Spurlock?DJ,Arora A,Boffa DJ,Kaiser LR,Macheers SK,Martin LW,Misselbeck TS,Reece TB,Squiers?JJ,Okusanya O,Mitzman BA,Dexter EU,Fiedler A,Gillaspie EA,Kidane B,Kim M,Krueger?AR,Mokadam N,Nelson DB,Pal J,Rove JY,Saddoughi SA,Serna-Gallegos DR,Tong BC,Vardas?P,Yang SC (2024). A Report of Salaries of Academic Cardiothoracic Surgeons Based on Race and?Ethnicity.?Ann Thorac Surg,?118(3), 569-578.
    DOI:?10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.03.044

  1. Antonoff MB, Donington J, Husain SA, Kaneko T, Kilic A,?Pereira SJ?(2024). STS Policy for?Respectful Scholarly Discourse: Providing a Framework for Professional Behavior at Academic?Conferences.?Ann Thorac Surg,?119(2), 268-273.
    DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.09.051

  1. Gelhard S, O'Brien L, Vincenti S, Smego D, Hobbs R, Varghese TK, Selzman CH,?Pereira SJ.?(2023). Disparities in Gender and Diversity Representation amongst Surgical Subspecialties: Are we?Losing Momentum??J Surg Res.?2024 Jan;293:413-419.?doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.08.051.?Epub 2023?Oct 7.?PubMed PMID: 37812874.?Journal of Surgical Research,?293, 413-419. DOI:?10.1016/j.jss.2023.08.051 

  1. Benck KN,Nesbitt K,Dranow E,Glotzbach JP,Tandar A,Pereira SJ?(2024). Transcatheter Aortic?Valve Replacement Improves Quality of Life and Ventricular Function with?Low-Flow/Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis.?J Soc Cardiovasc Angiogr Interv,?3(3).
    DOI:?10.1016/j.jscai.2023.101266

  1. Ferrel MN,Gerhard EF,Johnstad CM,Nesbitt K,Pereira SJ,Fiedler AG (2022). Practice patterns of?female cardiothoracic surgeons over the past 58 years: Are we making progress? J Thorac?Cardiovasc Surg.
    DOI:?10.1016/j.jtcvs.2022.02.006 

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