Physician’s Profile

Craig R Smith Jr., MD
Dr. Smith earned his MD at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio (Phi Beta Kappa), going on to a general surgery internship and residency and a vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Memorial Hospital (1977-1982). He completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in 1984, immediately joining the faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He was Director of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center during 1986-1996 and was appointed Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 1996. He became a full professor of surgery in 1998. In 2010, Dr. Smith became Chair, Department of Surgery.
Dr. Smith's clinical specialties include medical support for pre- and postoperative transplant recipients, use of bioartificial support devices, and alternative immunosuppressive strategies. His research interests focus on mitral valve repair, transmyocardial laser revascularization, long-term heart and lung transplantation outcomes, preoperative risk factors for stroke after CABG, and adaptation in cardiac transplantation. Dr. Smith was named Practitioner of the Year for 2004 by the Society of Practitioners at Columbia University Medical Center. He is co-Principal Investigator for the multicenter PARTNER aortic transcatheter valve trial.
New York Magazine's Top Doctors, 2015-2016
Practitioner of the Year Award, 2004, Society of Practitioners, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia
Program Committee, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, 1989-1991
Program Committee, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1992-1993
Advisory Board, Issues in Cardiovascular Surgery, 1993-present
Member, Grant Selection Committee, Clinical Research-Blood Conservation, Bayer Inc., 1993-present
Board of Directors, NY State Affiliate of the American Heart Association, 1996-2002
Vice President, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1998-1999
Membership Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 1998-2002
Editorial Board, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Internet Journal, 1999-2002
President, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 1999-2000
Chairman, Nominating Committee, New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, 2000-2001
Workforce on Annual Meeting/Program Task Force Committee, 2000-2003
Program Committee, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2001-present
Editorial Board, Heart Surgery Forum, 2002-present
Chairman, Membership Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgey, 2002-2004
Chairman, Workforce on Annual Meeting/Program Task Force Committee, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2003-2004
Chairman, Education Committee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2003-2007
Council Member, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2005-2009
Committee Member, New York State Cardiac Advisory Board, 2005-present
Healthcare Childhood Obesity Expert Panel, American Heart Association, 2006
Society of Thoracic Surgeons Task Force on Communications, 2006-present
Chairman, Improvement Workgroup, New York State Cardiac Advisory Board, 2006-present
Heart of New York Honoree, American Heart Association, 2007
President, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 2011-2012
Champion Participant, American Heart Association, 2012