Ashok Venkataraman, MD, has aspired to be a heart surgeon since he was about 12 years old. He has been fascinated by the medical profession and the art of surgery in particular since his youth. Growing up initially in India and having spent his childhood in several parts of the world, he spent his formative years in Singapore, in Southeast Asia. Following completion of his high school education, he enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces for 2.5 years as part of his mandatory military requirement and completed training with the Infantry Reconnaissance Unit. Subsequently, he completed his medical school and received his medical degree from the prestigious National University of Singapore in 2007. His fascination for cardiothoracic surgery was cemented in his medical school years and he spent as much of his time attached to cardiothoracic surgical units in Singapore and India. He undertook his postgraduate surgical training in the United States, obtaining his general surgical training at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Here he furthered his interests by spending a dedicated year in the research labs focusing on lung transplantation and ex-vivo lung perfusion. After completion of his general surgical residency in 2015, he undertook a robust fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Loyola University Health System in Chicago. Following completion of his fellowship in 2017, he joined his current practice at the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene/Springfield, Oregon. He currently holds certifications by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He has a keen interest in all aspects of adult cardiothoracic surgery, with special interests in coronary disease, valvular heart disease, aortic disease, transcatheter interventions for valvular disease, surgery for atrial fibrillation and minimally invasive thoracic surgery utilizing both thoracoscopic and Robotic assisted techniques. His patient care philosophy is simple – “Treat patients like family”. He enjoys the clinical and technical aspects of surgery, but truly revels in interacting with his patients and their families the most. Procedures he performs include: Coronary artery bypass grafting Heart valve surgery Surgery of the aorta – aneurysms and dissection Surgery for atrial fibrillation – Maze procedure Convergent Procedure for atrial fibrillation Mechanical circulatory support – Impella assisted surgery Transcatheter aortic valve replacement Transcatheter mitral valve repair – MitraClip Minimally invasive (thoracoscopic) lung cancer surgery  Minimally invasive (thoracoscopic) benign lung surgery Robotic assisted benign and malignant lung surgery.