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Jennifer S. Lawton

Jennifer S. Lawton, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Accepting New Patients
5.0 of 5 stars38 ratings, 17 reviews

Highlights

Languages

  • English

Gender

Female

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Jennifer S. Lawton

Professional Titles

  • Richard Bennett Darnall Professor of Cardiac Surgery
  • Chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery
  • Director, Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Cardiac Surgery

Background

Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D., is the Richard Bennett Darnall Professor of Surgery and chief of the Johns Hopkins Division of Cardiac Surgery, as well as director of the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory.

Dr. Lawton’s clinical area of focus is adult cardiac surgery. She also leads the division’s residency education program, and conduct research in myocyte volume regulation and ATP-sensitive K channels.

She has held important leadership roles in several organizations, including chair of the surgery study section of the American Heart Association, vice-chair of the ACGME residency review committee, and president of the Women in Thoracic Surgery.  Lawton’s achievements also include 81 peer-review publications, 7 book chapters, and 18 abstracts. She has delivered over 50 invited lectures.

Research Interests

ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels, Myocardial Protection, Myocyte Volume Regulation

Lab Website

Cardiac Surgery Research Lab - Lab Website

  • Founded in 1942 by surgeon Alfred Blalock and surgical technician Vivien Thomas, the Cardiac Surgery Research Lab at The Johns Hopkins Hospital serves not only to spearhead discovery and innovation in cardiothoracic surgery, but also to train future leaders in the field. Active areas of investigation include the development of novel, nanoparticle-based therapeutics to mitigate acute lung injury, avoid neurological injury during cardiac surgery, and improve organ preservation during heart and lung transplantation. The lab is also active in a variety of clinical research projects aimed at improving outcomes for our patients. Equally important, the lab plays a critical role in training residents for impactful careers in academic cardiothoracic surgery. Medical students, residents, and fellows receive hands-on simulation experiences to hone surgical skills outside of the operating room. The lab also serves as a training ground to develop research and investigation skills as trainees learn methods of advanced statistical analysis and academic writing. Special programs for undergraduates and medical students help develop their passion for cardiac surgery and surgical research, giving unique opportunities to young talent.

Selected Publications

  • Lawton JS, Barner HB, Bailey MS, Moazami N, Pasque MK, Moon, MR, Damiano RJ, Jr.  Radial Artery Grafts in Women:  Utilization and Results.  Ann Thorac Surg 2005; 80(2):559-63.  PMID 16039204

  • Lawton JS, Liu J, Kulshrestha K, Moon MR, Damiano RJ, Maniar H, Pasque MK. The Impact of Surgical Strategy on Survival Following Repair of Type A Aortic Dissection. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2015; 150:294-301.PMID 26005060

  • Lawton JS, Moazami N, Pasque MK, Moon MR, Damiano RJ Jr.  Early Stenosis of Medtronic Mosaic Porcine Valves in the Aortic Position.  J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2009; 137(6):1556-7.  PMID: 19464483

  • Henn MC, Janjua MB, Zhang H, Kanter EM, Makepeace CM, Schuessler RB, Nichols CG, Lawton JS. Cardiac Expressed Gain – of – Function of ATP –Sensitive Potassium Channel Subunit Kir6.1 is Associated with Increased Tolerance to Myocyte Stress. Accepted J Surg Res August 2016.

  • Selected from 89 publications

    Lawton JS, Brister SJ, Petro KR, Dullum M. Surgical Revascularization in Women:  Unique Intraoperative Factors and Considerations. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003; 126(4):936-8.  PMID 14566226

  • Sellitto AD, Al-Dadah AS, Schuessler RB, Nichols CG, Lawton JS. An Open Sarcolemmal Adenosine Triphosphate-Sensitive Potassium Channel is Necessary for Detrimental Myocyte Swelling Secondary to Stress. Circulation 2011;124[suppl 1]:S70-S74.  PMID:  21911821

Honors

  • Fellow, American Heart Association
  • Invited Attendee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Leadership Academy for Division Chiefs/Potential Chiefs
  • Invited Attendee, American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Strategic Planning Retreat
  • Named to Best Doctors in St. Louis, 2009 - 2015, St. Louis Magazine
  • National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health; 1994-1996

Memberships

  • American Surgical Association
  • Society of Clinical Surgery
  • Fellow, American College of Surgeons
  • American Association for Thoracic Surgery
  • Cardiac Surgery Biology Club
  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons
  • Southern Thoracic Surgical Association
  • Fellow, American Heart Association
  • St. Louis Thoracic Surgery Society
  • Association for Academic Surgery
  • Women in Thoracic Surgery
  • Association of Women Surgeons
  • International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
  • Associate Member, Washington University Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Diseases (CIMED)

Locations

  1. Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
    • 601 North Caroline Street, Floor 7, Baltimore, MD 21287

    Expertise

    Education

    Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center

    Fellowship, Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2001

    Virginia Commonwealth University Health

    Residency, General Surgery, 1999

    Drexel University College of Medicine

    Medical Education, Medicine, MD, 1992

    Board Certifications

    Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery

    American Board of Thoracic Surgery, 2002

    Insurance

    Johns Hopkins providers accept various commercial health insurance plans. However, they may not be included in all of an insurance company's plans or offerings. This may include Exchange, Medicaid, Medicare, and specific limited benefit plans. Exceptions to participation also exist based on your employer’s benefits package and the provider's location or specialty. Please contact your insurer directly to make sure your doctor is covered by your plan. For more details, please review our Insurance Information.
    Search plans
    • Aetna
    • CareFirst
    • Cigna
    • First Health
    • Geisinger Health Plan
    • HealthSmart/Accel
    • Humana
    • Johns Hopkins Health Plans
    • MultiPlan
    • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
    • Point Comfort Underwriters
    • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
    • UnitedHealthcare
    • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)

    Ratings & Reviews

    5 out of 5

    38 ratings, 17 reviews

    The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

    Overall Rating by Patient
    Average provider Overall Rating by Patient rating 5 out of 5 stars
    Provider Listened Carefully
    Average provider Provider Listened Carefully rating 4.9 out of 5 stars
    Provider Explained Things Clearly
    Average provider Provider Explained Things Clearly rating 4.9 out of 5 stars
    Provider Knew Medical History
    Average provider Provider Knew Medical History rating 4.9 out of 5 stars
    Provider Showed Respect
    Average provider Provider Showed Respect rating 5 out of 5 stars
    Provider Spent Enough Time
    Average provider Provider Spent Enough Time rating 5 out of 5 stars
    Search reviews
      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 1/31/2025

      Dr Lawton is my saint.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 1/31/2025

      Very professional but approachable.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 1/31/2025

      Love Dr Lawton. Ery thorough and explained things very well

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 12/27/2024

      Dr. Lawton and her entire team are the best. Attentive, responsive, understanding and as professional as it gets. A model for others.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 12/20/2024

      She's awesome.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 11/22/2024

      Dr Lawton is an excellent surgeon. Very knowledgeable and professional. I am very happy to have found her and be a patient of hrs.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 11/15/2024

      Dr. Lawton and Assistant are very good, kind, concerned and very informative. They listen to me.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 9/3/2024

      Dr. Jennifer Lawton and her team is the one of best in USA

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 7/30/2024

      Dr. Lawton is an amazing individual and the most skillful surgeon! I am truly thankful to her for the successful result of my own heart surgery.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 7/30/2024

      Best doctor every!

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 7/30/2024

      Dr. Lawton provided excellent care and information regarding my CT scan for an [ ] aneurysm that's being monitored.

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 7/2/2024

      Dr. Lawton and her assistant were outstanding. I did not feel rushed and my questions were answered with respect and thoughtfulness. I feel confident in Dr. Lawson and appreciate her approach to patient interaction,

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 6/4/2024

      Dr Lawton is an excellent DOCTOR

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 5/7/2024

      Very easy to talk to about my health concerns, very through, very courteous, very professional

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 4/9/2024

      She saves my life

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 4/9/2024

      Awesome

      5 out of 5 stars
      Reviewed on 4/9/2024

      Exceptional clinician