Dr. Edith Tzeng Named Interim Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute

The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is excited to announce that Edith Tzeng, MD, UPMC Chair and Professor of Surgery, has been named interim chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. Under Dr. Tzeng’s leadership, the Division of Vascular Surgery will continue to provide innovative and advanced care to patients with the full spectrum of vascular disease.

Dr. Tzeng is a vascular surgeon-scientist and is certified in vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery. She earned her medical degree at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, and completed her general surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. She also performed a research fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh under the direction of Dr. Richard Simmons. Dr. Tzeng joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC in 2000 and has served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Pittsburgh since 2003. Dr. Tzeng has been instrumental in growing the clinical vascular surgery services at the VA to align with UPMC services. She has been the Program Director of the Vascular Surgery Research T32 Program funded through the NIH for the past 15 years. This program supports the research training and academic develop of the integrated vascular surgery residents and general surgery residents.

Nationally, she has been heavily involved in the American Heart Association, Society for University Surgeons, Association for VA Surgeons, American Surgical Association, and The Society for Vascular Surgery.  She is President-elect of the Association for VA Surgeons and is a member of the SVS Foundation Board. She serves on NIH study sections and has been involved in peer review for the AHA and nonprofit funding mechanisms. Her passion has been for the clinical and research training and mentorship of vascular and general surgery residents, medical students, and support of early and mid-career faculty. In 2023, she was appointed Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs to further her interests in career development of her fellow faculty members.

Dr. Tzeng has been nationally funded through the NIH, AHA, and VA Merit system for her entire career.  Dr. Tzeng’s research focuses on vascular health with a strong emphasis on translational studies of vascular healing and wound healing. The effect of small molecules, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO), on the prevention of intimal hyperplasia is an active area of Dr. Tzeng’s research with an attempt to understand the mechanisms by which these molecules achieve their benefit in the vasculature. Additionally, Dr. Tzeng’s research includes understanding the beneficial effects of CO and NO in cutaneous wound healing as well as the development of bioengineered vascular grafts and imaging modalities for unstable plaque through active partnerships with investigators in Bioengineering. The ultimate goal of her research is to bring these innovations to improve patient care and advance the field of cardiovascular medicine.

Contact Us

For more information, or to refer a patient, email HVIReferral@upmc.edu.