Transplant - Evlp Specialist

The EVLP Specialist is a senior clinical, surgical, and technical expert responsible for the independent execution and clinical oversight of Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) within the Transplant Institute. This role leads all aspects of donor lung evaluation and optimization, including back-table assessment, cannulation, extracorporeal circuit management, advanced mechanical ventilation, and multimodal data integration to inform transplant suitability decisions in collaboration with transplant surgeons. The specialist functions with a high degree of autonomy across intraoperative decision-making, protocol execution, and real-time troubleshooting of complex physiologic and circuit variables. In addition to clinical responsibilities, this role leads and contributes to protocol development, program operations, quality improvement, research, and education. The position is integral to expanding donor lung utilization, supporting high-volume EVLP operations, and advancing institutional performance through continuous evaluation and innovation. This role reports directly to the EVLP Director and is responsible for performing job duties in accordance with the mission, vision, and values of Tampa General Hospital.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in clinical EVLP cases, including protocol execution, intraoperative decision-making, and transplant suitability assessment in collaboration with transplant surgeons.
• Perform comprehensive donor lung back-table assessments, including anatomical, vascular, and airway evaluation.
• Execute donor lung cannulation and manage all phases of the extracorporeal perfusion circuit, including priming, flow regulation, perfusate optimization, and real-time troubleshooting.
• Manage mechanical ventilation during EVLP, including lung recruitment, PEEP titration, and ventilatory optimization.
• Perform flexible bronchoscopy, pulmonary angioscopy, lung ultrasound, and interpretation of chest radiographs to assess donor lung function.
• Perform indicated surgical interventions, including repair of parenchymal defects or vascular injuries and wedge resection.
• Integrate clinical, imaging, ventilatory, and perfusion data to support post-EVLP transplant decisions.
• Participate in structured quality reviews of EVLP cases and post-transplant outcomes.
• Develop, refine, and implement EVLP protocols, procedural standards, and assessment practices.
• Support donor lung case selection, workflow standardization, and multidisciplinary coordination for a high-volume EVLP program.
• Design and execute clinical and translational research, including protocol development, data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings.
• Train and supervise fellows and clinical team members in EVLP procedures, clinical decision-making, and protocol adherence.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated clinical experience with EVLP at a recognized transplant center, with progressive responsibility across donor lung assessment, perfusion, and transplant suitability determination.

• Progressive clinical and surgical experience in cardiothoracic surgery or a directly related discipline, with broad exposure to thoracic and cardiac procedures.

• Experience with extracorporeal perfusion systems, including cardiopulmonary bypass or normothermic machine perfusion platforms.

• Advanced knowledge of EVLP circuit setup, priming, perfusate management, flow dynamics, gas exchange, hemodynamics, and troubleshooting.

• Expertise in donor lung surgical techniques, mechanical ventilation, bronchoscopy, pulmonary angioscopy, thoracic imaging, and lung ultrasound.

• Strong clinical judgment and the ability to integrate multimodal data in a complex, time-sensitive environment.

• Experience with clinical research, protocol development, data collection and analysis, and transplant or surgical outcomes.

• Experience supporting multidisciplinary, high-volume clinical program operations and training or mentoring clinical team members, fellows, or trainees.

Education and Licensure

Doctor of Medicine degree or equivalent medical degree with postgraduate surgical training in cardiothoracic surgery or a directly related discipline.

Medical doctor licensure issued by Florida or a compact state, as applicable.