Dr. Bridgess is Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital. His clinical interests include all aspects of adult cardiac surgery with particular interest in total arterial, minimally invasive and beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery, minimally invasive valve procedures, mitral valve repair, complex aortic surgery including aortic root surgery, ascending and aortic arch aneurysms, transmyocardial laser revascularization and the treatment of end-stage heart disease. His research interests include the development of theoretical and mathematical models of cardiac function, magnetic resonance imaging of the heart for the definition of cardiac mechanics and measurement of regional myocardial blood. Currently he is developing innovative strategies for gene delivery in the experimental treatment of models of heart failure and coronary ischemia.