Positions

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine

Addresses

Ben Taub Hospital (Hospital)

1504 Taub Loop
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 873-4966

Education

Residency at Deutsches Herzzentrum

Berlin, Germany

Research Fellowship at Charité Universitätsmedizin

Berlin, Germany

Research Fellowship at Houston Methodist Research Institute

Houston, TX

Research Fellowship at Tulane University

New Orleans, LA

MD from Otto-von-Guericke-University

Magdeburg, Germany

Professional Interests

• Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Professional Statement

Timo Z. Nazari-Shafti, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, specializes in all aspects of adult cardiac surgery, with a particular focus on coronary artery bypass surgery, including off-pump coronary artery surgery. He has a strong interest in advancing new technologies for minimally invasive bypass grafting, such as minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass and totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass.

Originally from Lübeck, Germany, Dr. Nazari-Shafti earned his medical degree from the Otto-von-Guericke-University in Magdeburg, Germany. He completed two postdoctoral fellowships in the U.S., one at Tulane University and the other at Houston Methodist Research Institute. He then completed an integrated residency at the German Heart Center Berlin, one of Europe’s leading cardiac surgery hospitals. During his residency, he set up his own research group at Charité University and the Berlin/Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, where he served as a junior faculty member and a steering committee member. He also qualified for the prestigious Berlin Institute of Health Junior Clinician and Clinician Scientist Program and secured a European Government Grant to support collaborative projects between academic researchers and industry partners across Europe.

Dr. Nazari-Shafti’s research focuses on enhancing various aspects of coronary artery bypass grafting. His work spans endothelial biology at the bench, preclinical large-animal studies, and clinical trials. This broad scope reflects his commitment to translating basic scientific discoveries into clinical innovations.

Websites

Selected Publications

• V Exarchos, S Neuber, H Meyborg, C Giampietro, N Chala, S Moimas, H Hinkov, F Kaufmann, FM Pramotton, K Krüger, HR Cetina Biefer, N Cesarovic, D Poulikakos, V Falk, MY Emmert, A Ferrari, TZ. Nazari-Shafti "Anisotropic topographies restore endothelial monolayer integrity and promote the proliferation of senescent endothelial cells." rontier Cardiovascular Medicine.; Pubmed PMID: 36277782
• TZ. Nazari-Shafti, H. Thau, E. Zacharova, CM. Beez, V. Exarchos, S. Neuber, H. Meyborg, K. Puhl, C. Wittig, R. Szulcek, C. Giampietro, K. Krüger, N. Cesarovic, V. Falk, E. Caliskan ,H.Rodriguez Cetina Biefer, MY Emmert "Endothelial damage inhibitor preserves the integrity of venous endothelial cells from patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery." Eur J Cardiothorac Surg.; Pubmed PMID: 37740952
• Emmert MY, Burrello J, Wolint P, Hilbe M, Andriolo G, Balbi C, Provasi E, Turchetto L, Radrizzani M, Nazari-Shafti TZ, Cesarovic N, Neuber S, Falk V, Hoerstrup SP, Hemetsberger R, Gyöngyösi M, Barile L, Vassalli G "Intracoronary delivery of extracellular vesicles from human cardiac progenitor cells reduces infarct size in porcine acute myocardial infarction." Eur Heart J.; Pubmed PMID: 37787585

Memberships

European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgeons

International Society for Coronary Artery Surgery

German Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery