Richard Pierson, MD, joined the Mass General Division of Cardiac Surgery in 2017. A graduate of Princeton University (1978) and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (1983), he trained in general surgery at the University of Michigan and in cardiothoracic surgery at Mass General.

Following a post-doctoral research fellowship at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England, he led the heart and lung transplant programs at Vanderbilt University from 1994-2002. At the University of Maryland (2002-2017), he participated in the thoracic transplant programs, established a successful research lab, served as chief of surgery at the VA Baltimore (2006-2012), and later as senior associate dean at UMSOM (2012-2014).

At Mass General, Dr. Pierson participates in the care of patients in the Heart Center intensive care unit, and in thoracic organ procurement activities. His principal research focus at the Mass General Center for Transplantation Sciences is developing tolerance and pig-to-human xenotransplantion for clinical application.