V.Schaff Hartzell

Hartzell V. Schaff, M.D., is a Consultant in, and the Chair of, the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota.  He is Co-Director of the Cardiovascular Surgical Research Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic where he also serves as Stuart W. Harrington Professor of Surgery.  He received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in 1973.  Dr. Schaff’s internship and residencies in Surgery and Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery were completed at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he served as Chief Resident in Surgery and Research Fellow in the Cardiovascular Surgical Research Laboratory.

Dr. Schaff has authored or co-authored 561 papers, 71 book chapters, and edited or written 9 textbooks.  He has served or is serving on the editorial boards of 11 journals including Circulation and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.  He is currently the Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.  He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics in cardiovascular surgery such as surgical management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, new techniques in valve repair and replacement, and management of complex congenital heart disease.  Dr. Schaff has received many prestigious awards and research grants, but is most proud of receiving the designation of Teacher of the Year in the Department of Surgery in 1998 and the Distinguished Clinician Award at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 2007.