Dr. Demarest is an Assistant Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Vanderbilt Univetsity Medical Center. She completed a fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Her clinical and research work has focused on innovations and developments in artificial lung technology. She is an investigator in the Laboratory for Organ Recovery, Regeneration and Replacement, continuing an ongoing collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center and Carnegie Mellon University. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to develop a long-term, portable artificial lung for patients with acute and chronic lung failure. Her patient care interests center on surgery for diseases of the lung, esophagus, rib cage and diaphragm, lung transplantation and robotic surgery.

Memberships, Awards and Honors

Dr. Demarest has certification from the American Board of Surgery, General Surgery, and board eligibility with the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Demarest is active in  the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Women in Thoracic Surgery and in both the Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society, and Beta Beta Beta, National Biological Honor Society. She was the recipient of Columbia University's Blakemore Award for Outstanding Surgical Research, a Young Innovator Fellowship from the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs and was selected into the American Association of Thoracic Surgery’s Leadership Academy and their Surgical Robotics Fellowship. Dr. Demarest was awarded Cor et Manus Award of Distinction, and Charlotte D. Yudell, MD Memorial Award, for outstanding women graduating medical school. She received an American Heart Association Fellowship Grant of $100,000 to fund her original research, awards from Women in Thoracic Surgery Scholarship, Alpha Omega Alpha Postgraduate Award, and AATS Member for a Day Scholarship.

Education

Dr. Demarest received a Bachelor of Science in Biophysics from the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Beta Beta Beta, and Sigma Pi Sigma. She earned her MD at New York Medical College, New York, NY, where she served as Vice President of the student body, director of a free clinic in East Harlem NY, and was elected into Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. She then completed a residency in General Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. She attended the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, MI for a fellowship in Thoracic Surgery where she served as chief fellow and has a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in Biomedical Engineering.