Ioannis Dimarakis
Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at the University of Washington
John Dimarakis is Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at the University of Washington, having joined the faculty in 2023. Prior to this appointment, he served as Consultant Cardiac and Cardiothoracic Transplant Surgeon at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester, United Kingdom, where he also held leadership roles as Deputy Director of Cardiac Surgery and Surgical Director of Cardiothoracic Transplantation.
Dr. Dimarakis completed his surgical training at several leading institutions, including Wythenshawe Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, and the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. His clinical expertise encompasses the full spectrum of adult cardiac surgery, cardiothoracic transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and surgical innovation. His particular areas of interest include aortic surgery, redo cardiac surgery, donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplantation, and durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.
His research program integrates both basic science and large-scale surgical outcomes research. Building on his doctoral work at Imperial College London, where he investigated stem cell–based regenerative therapies for ischemic heart disease, Dr. Dimarakis continues to focus on regenerative medicine in cardiac disease. His active research projects include the management of highly sensitized transplant recipients and the development of advanced organ preservation strategies to optimize graft function and expand donor utilization. He is also deeply committed to surgical education and training.
Dr. Dimarakis has edited multiple textbooks on stem cell therapy, authored numerous book chapters, and published more than 75 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He has delivered extensive national and international presentations and serves as an editorial board member, associate editor, and peer reviewer for several leading journals in his field.