Juan Pablo Umana, MD

Dr. Umaña is a highly active investigator with an extensive academic record, having authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and contributed multiple chapters to leading medical and surgical textbooks. He has been invited to present at nearly 100 national and international medical conferences, frequently sharing expertise on complex procedures such as mitral valve repair in patients with mitral annular disjunction and aortic valve–sparing root replacement with valve reimplantation.

• Jose Vicente Castro-Silva Medal – Highest honor awarded by El Rosario University to physicians for exceptional service to Colombia in the medical field (May 2023)
• #WeLove Gala Honoree – Recognized for a lifelong commitment to saving lives (February 2023)
• Research Grant Recipient, Columbia University – Startup Fund (1996)
• Blakemore Research Award Recipient (1997)
• Second Place, Resident’s Research Competition (1997)
• Educational Chief Resident (1997–1999)
• Department of Surgery, Columbia University School of Medicine (1998–1999)
• Finalist, Samson Resident Prize Competition – Western Thoracic Surgical Association (2001)

Juan Pablo Umaña, M.D., is an internationally recognized cardiovascular surgeon and academic leader, widely known for his pioneering contributions to aortic and mitral valve repair. He serves as Professor and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and is respected for advancing innovative, patient-centered approaches to the treatment of complex cardiac disease.

Dr. Umaña’s clinical expertise spans the full spectrum of advanced valve and aortic surgery, including mitral, tricuspid, and aortic valve repair; valve-sparing aortic root replacement; the Ross procedure; minimally invasive aortic root and aortic valve replacement; transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR); transcatheter mitral valve repair; management of aortic dissections; and surgical treatment of cardiac tumors.

He earned his medical degree from the University of El Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia, and completed a research fellowship in liver transplantation in Birmingham, England. He then completed general surgery training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, followed by advanced cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery training at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency. Prior to joining the University of Miami, he held senior leadership roles in cardiovascular surgery, including serving as Division Chief of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Umaña is an active member of leading professional societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the 21st Century Cardiothoracic Surgery Society, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. He also serves on the Board of the Heart Valve Society.

Dr. Umaña established the largest aortic and mitral valve repair program in Latin America and founded the Latin-American Cardiovascular Surgery Conference, creating a durable platform for education, innovation, and international collaboration. With more than 150 scientific publications and presentations, he is a prominent voice in global cardiovascular research. Notably, he was a co-inventor of the MitraClip™, the first transcatheter mitral valve repair device adopted into clinical practice, enabling mitral valve repair without open-heart surgery.