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Cindy Song, MD

Cindy Song headshot
Medical School: Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate: Rutgers University

About Dr. Song

Cindy is a PGY1 resident in the integrated cardiothoracic surgery residency program. Her interests include heart transplant, mechanical circulatory support, and aortic surgery. She plans to pursue a career in academic cardiac surgery. 

Education

2021 - 2025
MD - Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

2017 - 2021
BA - Rutgers University

Societies

2025 - present
Trainee member, International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation

2023 - present
Trainee member, American College of Surgeons

2023 - present
Trainee member, Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Awards

2025
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Perelman School of Medicine

2025
American Medical Women’s Association Glasgow-Rubin Certificate, Perelman School of Medicine

2024
Celso-Ramon García Award for Outstanding Women’s Health Research, Perelman School of Medicine

2024
Women in Thoracic Surgery-Society of Thoracic Surgeons Scholarship

2023
Fred Weber Scholarship for Medical Students, Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society

2023
Member for a Day, American Association for Thoracic Surgery

2022
Agnew Summer Research Fellowship, Perelman School of Medicine

2021
Henry Rutgers Scholarship, Rutgers University

2021
Matthew Leydt Society, Rutgers University

2020
Phi Beta Kappa, Rutgers University

2017 - 2021
Presidential Scholarship, Rutgers University

Research

2021 - 2025
Mentors: Dr. Pavan Atluri, Dr. Marisa Cevasco, Dr. Constantine Mavroudis
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  1. Chan A, Wang HH, Haley R, Song C, Gonzalez-Martinez D, Bugaj L, Mitchell M, Tsourkas A. Cytosolic delivery of small protein scaffolds enables efficient inhibition of Ras and Myc. Mol Pharm. 2022;19(4):1104-1116.
  2. Weingarten N, Song C, Iyengar A, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Meldrum D, Guevara-Plunkett S, Dominic J, Atluri P. Antithrombotic therapy for durable left ventricular assist devices—current strategies and future directions. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022;38(6):628-636.
  3. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Rekhtman D, Song C, Kim S, Atluri P. Heart-kidney transplant versus heart transplant in the obese: a propensity-matched analysis. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2022;63(1).
  4. Shin M, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Kelly J, Song C, Rekhtman D, Cevasco M. Modern outcomes of heart-lung transplantation: Assessing the impact of the updated United States allocation system. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2022;63(1).
  5. Shin M, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Patrick W, Cohen W, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, Atluri P, Cevasco M. Use of extended criteria donor hearts in combined heart-kidney transplant confers greater risk of mortality. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023;42(7).
  6. Iyengar A, Song C, Weingarten N, Herbst DA, Rekhtman D, Shin M, Helmers M, Atluri P. Prosthesis choice in dialysis patients undergoing mitral valve replacement. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023;116(5):963-970.
  7. Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Patel M, Atluri P. Aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis during mitral surgery improves survival free from severe stenosis. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2023;31(6):475-482.
  8. Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Weingarten N, Song C, Shin M, Helmers M, Kelly J, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Comparison of intra-aortic balloon pump and Impella 5.5 as heart transplant bridging strategies. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023;116(4):811-817.
  9. Kim S, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, Shin M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Outcomes of COVID-19 positive donor heart transplantation in the United States. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(14).
  10. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Weingarten N, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Emerging racial differences in heart transplant waitlist outcomes for patients on temporary mechanical circulatory support. Am J Cardiol. 2023;204:234-241.
  11. Shin M, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Patrick W, Rekhtman D, Song C, Kelly J, Cevasco M. Decreased survival of simultaneous heart-kidney transplant recipients in the new allocation era. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2023;42(12):1725-1734.
  12. Kim S, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, Shin M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Heart retransplantation under the 2018 adult heart allocation policy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2024;117(3):603-609.
  13. Shin M, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Song C, Rekhtman D, Kelly J, Weingarten N, Patrick W, Cevasco M. Non-inferior outcomes in lower urgency patients transplanted with extended criteria donor hearts. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2024;43(2):263-271.
  14. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Song C, Rekhtman D, Ganjoo N, Karimanasseri C, Helmers M, Patel M, Herbst DA, Kelly J, Atluri P. Tricuspid repair at the time of mitral surgery improves survival free from severe tricuspid regurgitation but not quality of life. JTCVS Open. 2023;16:250-262. 
  15. Song C, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Center volume predicts improved early outcomes in multiorgan heart transplantation. Transplant Proc. 2024;56(1):135-144.
  16. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, Shin M, Helmers M, Kelly J, Atluri P. Outcomes and quality of life in patients receiving mitral surgery for asymptomatic disease. JTCVS Open. 2024;18:43-51.
  17. Song C, Kim S, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Weingarten N, Shin M, Jiang J, Asher M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Temporary mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to transplant in peripartum cardiomyopathy. JHLT Open. 2024;6.
  18. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Song C, Rekhtman D, Shin M, Helmers M, Wald J, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Outcomes and quality of life in patients receiving durable left ventricular assist device with biventricular support. Artificial Organs. 2024;48(12):1476-1483.
  19. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Ganjoo N, Song C, Weingarten N, Shin M, Asher M, DePaolo J, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Clinical course of patients relisted for orthotopic heart transplantation: A national study. JHLT Open. 2024;7.
  20. Asher M, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Jiang J, Song C, Weingarten N, Shin M, Nitsche L, Mavroudis C.D. Goodnight Moon, The (not so) mystical effect of folklore and superstitions on cardiac transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2025;44(5):750-759.
  21. Iyengar A, Feinman J, Jiang J, Song C, Kim S, Mathew A, Golec S, Rao A, Radakrishnan A, Asher M, Rekhtman D, DePaolo J, Moss N, Itagaki S, Anyanwu A, Wald J, Cevasco M, Tarikh A. Epidemiology and impact of device-specific infections on patients receiving left ventricular assist devices. JHLT Open. 2025;8.
  22. Rekhtman D, Asher M, Iyengar A, Song C, Weingarten N, Shin M, DePaolo J, Kim S, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Predictors of utilization of ex vivo perfused donor heart allografts. ASAIO J. 2025.
  23. Rekhtman D, Lee S, Iyengar A, Song C, Weingarten N, Shin M, Asher M, Jiang J, Cevasco M, Atluri P. The effect of donor distance on post-transplant mortality in the modern era. JTCVS Open. 2025.
  24. Iyengar A, Song C, Atluri P. Commentary: Looking to the future: Revisiting the volume-outcome relationship in mitral valve repair. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025.
  25. Asher M, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Song C, DePaolo J, Shin M, Brown A, Wald J, Parikh A, Cevasco M. Acute hemodynamic and echocardiographic consequences of Impella 5.5 placement in patients with advanced cardiogenic shock. ASAIO J. 2025.
  26. Rekhtman D, Asher M, Song C, Iyengar A, Cevasco M, Maeda K, Mavroudis CD. Prolonged Impella 5.5 support in a pediatric patient with genetic cardiomyopathy. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2025.

Oral Presentations

  1. Song C, Wang H, Tsourkas A. Cytosolic delivery of inhibitory antibody fragments and mimetics with cationic lipids. Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting; Philadelphia, PA; Oct 2019.
  2. Song C, Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Shin M, Jiang J, Asher M, Patel M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Temporary mechanical circulatory support as a bridge to heart transplant in peripartum cardiomyopathy. Society of Thoracic Surgeons 60th Annual Meeting; San Antonio, TX; Jan 2024.
  3. Song C, Kim S, Iyengar A, Asher M, Rekhtman D, Grasty M, Mavroudis C. Outcomes of pediatric lung transplantation for pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
  4. Song C, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Asher M, Shin M, Weingarten N, Toubat O, Biscotti M, Cevasco M. Use of extended criteria donor cardiac allografts after multiple offers is associated with inferior post-transplant outcomes. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.

Peer-Reviewed Abstracts

  1. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Herbst DA, Song C, Rekhtman D, Helmers M, Atluri P. Prosthesis choice in dialysis patients undergoing mitral valve replacement. Oral presentation at European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery’s 36th Annual Meeting; Milan, Italy; Oct 2022.
  2. Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Weingarten N, Shin M, Song C, Tchillingirian S, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Kelly J, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Comparison of intra-aortic balloon pump and Impella 5.5 as bridging strategies to heart transplantation in the United States. Oral presentation at Society of Thoracic Surgeons 59th Annual Meeting; San Diego, CA; Jan 2023.
  3. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Patel M, Helmers M, Herbst DA, Kelly JJ, Song C, Rekhtman D, Atluri P. Heart transplantation for Chagas cardiomyopathy: the United States experience. Poster presentation at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons / European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery’s Latin America Cardiovascular Surgery Conference; Cartagena, CO; Dec 2022.
  4. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Rekhtman D, Song C, Atluri P. Heart transplantation outcomes among elderly patients in the modern era. Poster presentation at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons / European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery’s Latin American Cardiovascular Surgery Conference. Cartagena, CO; Dec 2022.
  5. Song C, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Positive correlative volume-outcome relationship for multiorgan heart transplantation. Poster presentation at the International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 43rd Annual Meeting; Denver, CO; Apr 2023.
  6. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Weingarten N, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. Emerging racial differences in heart transplant waitlist outcomes for patients on temporary mechanical circulatory support. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 43rd Annual Meeting; Denver, CO; Apr 2023.
  7. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Song C, Rekhtman D, Helmers M, Herbst DA, Patel M, Dominic J, Guevara-Plunkett S, Atluri P. Outcomes and quality of life in patients receiving durable ventricular assist device therapy with BIVAD support. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 43rd Annual Meeting; Denver, CO; Apr 2023.
  8. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Song C, Herbst DA, Guevara-Plunkett S, Patel M, Helmers M, Dominic J, Atluri P. Complications and health-related quality of life after HeartMate 3 implantation. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 43rd Annual Meeting; Denver, CO; Apr 2023.
  9. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Patel M, Herbst DA, Helmers M, Song C, Rekhtman D, Shin M, Atluri P. Retransplantation for cardiac allograft vasculopathy: The United States experience. Poster presentation at the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery’s 31st Annual Meeting; Busan, South Korea; May 2023.
  10. Shin M, Iyengar A, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Rehktman D, Song C, Kelly JJ, Cevasco M. Simultaneous heart kidney transplantation in the modern era: A focused assessment of the new allocation system. Oral presentation at the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery’s 31st Annual Meeting; Busan, South Korea; May 2023.
  11. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Shin M, Rekhtman D, Song C, Kelly JJ, Helmers M, Atluri P, Cevasco M. US donation after circulatory death utilization for thoracic organ transplantation in the modern era. Oral presentation at the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery’s 31st Annual Meeting; Busan, South Korea; May 2023. 
  12. Weingarten N, Iyengar A, Song C, Rekhtman D, Ganjoo N, Karimanasseri C, Helmers M, Patel M, Herbst DA, Kelly JJ, Atluri P. Management of moderate tricuspid regurgitation during mitral surgery: Does tricuspid surgery impact quality of life? Oral presentation at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery’s Mitral Conclave; New York, NY; May 2023.
  13. Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, Helmers M, Herbst DA, Patel M, Kelly J, Dominic J, Guevara-Plunkett S, Atluri P. Outcomes and quality of life in patients receiving mitral surgery for asymptomatic disease. American Association for Thoracic Surgery’s Mitral Conclave; New York, NY; May 2023.
  14. Song C, Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Shin M, Kim S, Ganjoo N, Lee S, Helmers M, Atluri P. Combined heart-liver transplant versus isolated heart or liver transplant in amyloidosis. Poster at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 44th Annual Meeting; Prague, Czech Republic; Apr 2024.
  15. Rekhtman D, Song C, Iyengar A, Weingarten N, Shin M, Kim S, Jiang J, Asher M, Helmers M, Cevasco M, Atluri P. The effect of donor distance on post-transplant mortality. Oral presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 44th Annual Meeting; Prague, Czech Republic; Apr 2024.
  16. Iyengar A, Asher M, Helmers M, Weingarten N, Rekhtman D, Song C, DePaolo J, Shin M, Brown A, Wald J, Cevasco M. Acute hemodynamic and echocardiographic consequences of surgically-implanted axial flow pumps in patients with cardiogenic shock. Poster at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 44th Annual Meeting; Prague, Czech Republic; Apr 2024.
  17. Iyengar A, Feinman J, Jiang J, Kim S, Mathew A, Golec S, Rao A, Helmers M, Tauber K, Asher M, Rekhtman D, Song C, Moss N, Itagaki S, Anyanwu A, Wald J, Cevasco M, Parikh A. Epidemiology and impact of device-specific infections on patients receiving left ventricular assist devices. Poster at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 44th Annual Meeting; Prague, Czech Republic; Apr 2024.
  18. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Asher M, Weingarten N, Shin M, Kim S, DePaolo J, Biscotti M, Cevasco M. The impact of prolonged Impella 5.5 support on mortality following orthotopic heart transplantation in the United States. Poster at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Mechanical Support and Thoracic Transplantation Summit; Toronto, Canada; Sept 2024.
  19. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Asher M, Weingarten N, Shin M, Kim S, DePaolo J, Biscotti M, Cevasco M. Use of multi-modality temporary support leads to higher waitlist mortality in heart transplantation. Poster presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
  20. Rekhtman D, Iyengar A, Song C, Asher M, Weingarten N, Shin M, Kim S, Toubat O, Cevasco M, Atluri P. The interaction between donor age and procurement distance on heart transplant outcomes. Poster presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
  21. Asher M, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Song C, DePaolo J, Shin M, Weingarten N, Remy A, Andrews T, Atluri P, Cevasco M. Impact of logistic challenges on cardiac transplantation. Poster presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
  22. Asher M, Iyengar A, DePaolo J, Rekhtman D, Song C, Shin M, Weingarten N, Brown A, Dardik G, Remy A, Andrews T, Wald J, Takeda K, Cevasco M. Temporary surgically-implanted axial flow pumps in women: A multicenter study. Poster presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
  23. Asher M, Iyengar A, Rekhtman D, Song C, Shin M, Weingarten N, DePaolo J, Toubat O, Biscotti M, Cevasco M, Parikh A. Impact of advanced donor age on donation after circulatory death cardiac transplant outcomes. Poster presentation at International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation 45th Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; Apr 2025.
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