Rachel Vanderlaan

Dr. Rachel Vanderlaan pursued her medical education at the University of Toronto, where she completed a prestigious combined MD/PhD program, earning her PhD in Molecular Genetics. Following this, she underwent residency training in Cardiac Surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Vanderlaan further specialized by completing a fellowship in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). To deepen her expertise, she spent an additional year as a Clinical Instructor in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Columbia University, New York. She then returned to SickKids as a dedicated staff cardiovascular surgeon.

Research

Dr. Vanderlaan’s research is centered on pulmonary vascular diseases, particularly pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS), a rare paediatric condition. Her lab investigates how mechanical forces impact pulmonary vascular biology, using in vivo models, in vitro systems, and computational flow dynamics in collaboration with Dr. Christina Amon at the University of Toronto. This research aims to identify critical pathways and develop new treatments for PVS. Additionally, Dr. Vanderlaan is the co-director of the PVS Network and leads the PVS Network Registry study, the largest of its kind in North America, exploring patient outcomes, genetics and biomarkers to improve clinical care for children with PVS.

1. Vanderlaan RD. Improving Outcomes in Pulmonary Vein Stenosis: Novel Pursuits and Paradigm Shifts. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Pediatr Card Surg Annu. 2024; 27:92-99.
2. Ponzoni M, Alamri R, Peel B, Haller C, Coles J, Vanderlaan RD, Honjo O, Barron DJ, Yoo SJ. Longitudinal Evaluation of Congenital Cardiovascular Surgical Performance and Skills Retention Using Silicone-Molded Heart Models. World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2024 May;15(3):332-339.
3. Pradhan S, Vanderlaan RD, Benson L. Extravascular Central Venous Line Removal and Endovascular Covered Stent Implantation Guided by 3-Dimensional Computed Tomographic Reconstruction. CJC Pediatr Congenit Heart Dis. 2024 Jan 26;3(2):83-85.
4. Vanderlaan RD, Barron DJ. Optimal Surgical Management of Tetralogy of Fallot. CJC Pediatr Congenit Heart Dis. 2023 Sep 13;2(6Part A):352-360. doi: 10.1016/j.cjcpc.2023.09.003. PMID: 38161666; PMCID: PMC10755770.
5. Bacha E, Vanderlaan RD. Commentary: Ventricular function improvement after the cone for Ebstein anomaly: It is time to incorporate magnetic resonance studies into every long-term postoperative protocol. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2023 Aug;166(2):e55-e56. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.12.106. Epub 2020 Dec 31. PMID: 33494914.