Gil Wernovsky

Dr. Wernovsky is a Senior Consultant in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Critical Care at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC, USA., having joined CNH in 2018.Dr. Wernovsky is a Senior Consultant in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Critical Care at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC, USA., having joined CNH in 2018.
Education • He attended Brandeis University, receiving a BS degree in 1978 in Anthropology and Music.• He attended Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, receiving his MD in 1982.• He completed a Pediatric Residency at New York Hospital (now known as Weill Cornell Medical Center) in 1985, and his Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in 1988, with a focus on Cardiac Intensive Care.  Clinical Work• At Boston Children’s he was Associate Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit from 1988 - 1994.• He moved to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1995, where he was Medical Director of one of the first Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units in the USA. He was promoted to full Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2004, and developed one of the first Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Programs in 2008, where he was the medical director from 2008-2012• He was the Director of Patient and Family Centered Care of the Heart Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital from 2014-2016• At Children’s National Hospital, he is member of the NeuroCardiac Critical Care Team, and is a Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.  He is an attending physician in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the Inpatient Cardiology ServiceResearch, Publications and Committees• He was the primary clinical physician in the landmark Boston Circulatory Arrest Study from 1987-1992, and was the Principal Investigator of the PRIMACORP study from 2002-2003, at the time the largest international, multicenter trial in pediatric cardiac intensive care. • He is currently a co-investigator for an ongoing NIH-funded clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of the intraoperative delivery mesenchymal stromal cells for neuroprotection during cardiac surgery.• He has edited 6 textbooks and 13 periodicals, and has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and reviews. He has an H-index of 93 and his work has been cited over 28,000 times. • In 2021 he was recognized as the 2nd most cited author in the congenital heart disease literature from 1990-2020: “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: a Citation Analysis of the Paediatric Congenital Heart Disease Literature”, and as the 1st most cited author in the congenital heart disease literature: “The 100 Most Influential Articles in Congenital Heart Disease in 2000–2020: A Bibliometric Analysis”• He was the Co-Chair of the Perioperative Working Group of the Pediatric Heart Network, National Institutes of Health in 2009, and a Member of the Special Emphasis Panel for review of NHLBI Pediatric Heart Network Clinical Research Centers in 2016. • He is a founding member of:o Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (1996)o International Society of Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support (2009)o World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery (2010)o Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative (2016)o Congenital Heart Academy (2020) – which presented over 80 webinars in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic to over 26,000 unique attendees in over 120 countries• He has been a member of the International Steering Committee of the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery since 2008• He has been the course director for over 60 post graduate educational seminars, including the annual “CHOP meeting” from 1998-2012.  Teaching and Post-Graduate Courses• He has been a visiting professor and lectured throughout the world, and has given numerous named lectures including the Bonham-Carter Lecture (London, 2006), the Rashkind Lecture (American Heart Association, New Orleans, 2008), the Landmark Lecturer from the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (Cairns, 2009), the Dissenhouse Lecture (Toronto, 2011) the John Keith Lecture (Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Montreal, 2016). He was awarded the prestigious Newburger-Bellinger Award in 2015, for his lifetime contributions to the field of Neurodevelopment in children with heart disease, and gave the Anthony Chang Lecture of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society in 2016.• In 2021, Dr. Wernovsky was awarded the 2021 Maria Serratto Master Educator Award by the Section on Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Master Educator Award is presented each year to a pediatric cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon who exemplifies excellence in the areas of education, mentorship and/or leadership. • Dr. Wernovsky has been involved in the training and mentoring of over 300 fellows in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, neonatology, critical care medicine, and cardiac anesthesia, in addition to countless residents and medical students• He is the Co-Chair of the upcoming 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, planned for August 2023 in Washington, DC, USAOther• In the past, he played many competitive sports, particularly Ultimate Frisbee at the international level in the Masters Division, winning 3 gold medals as a member of Team USA and Club Teams. • Finally, he is also an avid music lover; composes and performs music and co-founded the Baby Blue Sound Collective along with Dr. Tom Karl. Dr. Wernovsky is a Senior Consultant in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Critical Care at Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC, USA., having joined CNH in 2018.
Education • He attended Brandeis University, receiving a BS degree in 1978 in Anthropology and Music.• He attended Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, receiving his MD in 1982.• He completed a Pediatric Residency at New York Hospital (now known as Weill Cornell Medical Center) in 1985, and his Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in 1988, with a focus on Cardiac Intensive Care.  Clinical Work• At Boston Children’s he was Associate Director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit from 1988 - 1994.• He moved to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1995, where he was Medical Director of one of the first Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units in the USA. He was promoted to full Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2004, and developed one of the first Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Programs in 2008, where he was the medical director from 2008-2012• He was the Director of Patient and Family Centered Care of the Heart Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital from 2014-2016• At Children’s National Hospital, he is member of the NeuroCardiac Critical Care Team, and is a Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.  He is an attending physician in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the Inpatient Cardiology ServiceResearch, Publications and Committees• He was the primary clinical physician in the landmark Boston Circulatory Arrest Study from 1987-1992, and was the Principal Investigator of the PRIMACORP study from 2002-2003, at the time the largest international, multicenter trial in pediatric cardiac intensive care. • He is currently a co-investigator for an ongoing NIH-funded clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of the intraoperative delivery mesenchymal stromal cells for neuroprotection during cardiac surgery.• He has edited 6 textbooks and 13 periodicals, and has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and reviews. He has an H-index of 93 and his work has been cited over 28,000 times. • In 2021 he was recognized as the 2nd most cited author in the congenital heart disease literature from 1990-2020: “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: a Citation Analysis of the Paediatric Congenital Heart Disease Literature”, and as the 1st most cited author in the congenital heart disease literature: “The 100 Most Influential Articles in Congenital Heart Disease in 2000–2020: A Bibliometric Analysis”• He was the Co-Chair of the Perioperative Working Group of the Pediatric Heart Network, National Institutes of Health in 2009, and a Member of the Special Emphasis Panel for review of NHLBI Pediatric Heart Network Clinical Research Centers in 2016. • He is a founding member of:o Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (1996)o International Society of Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support (2009)o World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery (2010)o Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative (2016)o Congenital Heart Academy (2020) – which presented over 80 webinars in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic to over 26,000 unique attendees in over 120 countries• He has been a member of the International Steering Committee of the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery since 2008• He has been the course director for over 60 post graduate educational seminars, including the annual “CHOP meeting” from 1998-2012.  Teaching and Post-Graduate Courses• He has been a visiting professor and lectured throughout the world, and has given numerous named lectures including the Bonham-Carter Lecture (London, 2006), the Rashkind Lecture (American Heart Association, New Orleans, 2008), the Landmark Lecturer from the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (Cairns, 2009), the Dissenhouse Lecture (Toronto, 2011) the John Keith Lecture (Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Montreal, 2016). He was awarded the prestigious Newburger-Bellinger Award in 2015, for his lifetime contributions to the field of Neurodevelopment in children with heart disease, and gave the Anthony Chang Lecture of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society in 2016.• In 2021, Dr. Wernovsky was awarded the 2021 Maria Serratto Master Educator Award by the Section on Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Master Educator Award is presented each year to a pediatric cardiologist or cardiothoracic surgeon who exemplifies excellence in the areas of education, mentorship and/or leadership. • Dr. Wernovsky has been involved in the training and mentoring of over 300 fellows in pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, neonatology, critical care medicine, and cardiac anesthesia, in addition to countless residents and medical students• He is the Co-Chair of the upcoming 8th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, planned for August 2023 in Washington, DC, USAOther• In the past, he played many competitive sports, particularly Ultimate Frisbee at the international level in the Masters Division, winning 3 gold medals as a member of Team USA and Club Teams. • Finally, he is also an avid music lover; composes and performs music and co-founded the Baby Blue Sound Collective along with Dr. Tom Karl.