Building a Culture Committed to Discovery
Children with congenital heart disease frequently require complex treatment, including surgery. Across academic medicine and clinical cardiology, there’s a call for more research-fueled, patient-driven discoveries to improve their care. , the for Phoenix Children’s Center for Heart Care, rose to this challenge.
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo leveraged his curiosity and dedication to clinical excellence to unearth meaningful scientific discoveries that directly impact patient care. Most recently, his work examined pulmonary valve replacements and the factors that may influence valve durability and future interventions. He will present these findings at the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Annual Meeting in November. The work will also be submitted for publication in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Through this fellowship, he’s helped create a training model, rooted in research, and one that influences treatment options and shapes care delivery.
“Being the first dedicated research fellow at the Center for Heart Care has given me the chance to be part of a program where research is directly connected to patient care,” he said. “This experience has gone beyond data collection. It’s been one where I could learn from patients, understand complex congenital heart disease and contribute to work that may improve outcomes.”
A Fellowship Built on Clinical Immersion
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo started his fellowship with limited knowledge of pediatric cardiac surgery and a strong desire to delve into research to shed light on these life-changing procedures. Through his work alongside Daniel Velez, MD, co-director of the Center for Heart Care and surgical director of heart transplantation, his training experience became something more impactful.
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo’s path to Phoenix Children’s started years before the fellowship began. “My connection to Phoenix Children’s began through Dr. Velez, whom I first met during his volunteer work in Puerto Rico,” he said. Dr. Velez recalled the same meeting. “When we discussed the vision for our Heart Center and what a successful research fellowship could look like, I immediately recognized his enthusiasm and potential,” he said.
“Initially, I thought my fellowship would focus mostly on data collection, research projects and manuscript preparation,” Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said. “Over time, it progressed as I participated in rounds and observed complex surgical cases. I developed a better understanding of how clinical questions arise directly from patient care.”
Through that clinical work, his fellowship evolved. It became a bridge – a connecting fiber between the operating room, the intensive care unit and academic research.
In fact, as Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo’s mentor, Dr. Velez said, it was the regular exposure to congenital cardiac surgery, patient management, anatomy, physiology and decision-making that made this fellowship so strong. That high-intensity learning was only enhanced by Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo’s calm, kind professionalism.
“As academic medicine becomes increasingly competitive, dedicated research fellowships are essential for generating new knowledge and improving outcomes,” Dr. Velez said. “Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo remained thoughtful and composed, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. He is highly inquisitive and asked insightful questions that often led to deeper discussions and better projects.”
A Search for Realistic Clinical Solutions
The driving force behind his research was to find more effective therapies and answer complex clinical questions that affect patients with specific heart defects. To date, Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo has published several studies in multiple peer-reviewed journals, including JACC: Case Reports and Future Cardiology. Each paper shares data that can impact clinical decision-making, he said.
“Every surgical decision can have long-term consequences for patients with single-ventricle physiology,” he said. “The main theme connecting my work is finding practical solutions for complex congenital heart disease.”
Much of his research focused on valve size and durability, pulmonary valve replacement and identifying the right time for reintervention. He said he often incorporated unique cases that may help other surgeons and cardiologists recognize unusual anatomy, plan safer operations and improve outcomes for future patients.
The structure of his fellowship also created opportunities for frequent multidisciplinary collaborations across the Center for Heart Care. These partnerships accelerated this work and made it more robust. From surgeons shaping clinical questions to echocardiography specialists reviewing imaging to catheterization team members evaluating catheter-based data, Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said this cadre of experts provided valuable clinical context that informed his investigations.
The blend of research and clinical knowledge may also impact how providers support patients and their families, he said.
“I hope my research helps surgeons and cardiologists make more informed decisions for children with complex heart disease,” he said. “Patients often require multiple procedures over their lifetime, and any information that helps surgeons make the right choices, such as the right valve strategy, may improve long-term care and family counseling.”
Mentorship That Affirmed Curiosity and Commitment
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said guidance from Dr. Velez and pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon Mohamad Alaeddine, MD, influenced his choices during the fellowship. They encouraged him to approach every investigation through a clinical lens and helped shape his vision for a career in cardiac surgery.
“My mentors helped guide research ideas, develop projects, review manuscripts and prepare presentations. They took the time to teach me about surgical techniques, career planning and the mindset required to succeed in this field,” he said. “Dr. Velez taught me the importance of analytical thinking, leadership, resilience and always searching for solutions,” Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said. “From Dr. Alaeddine, I learned the value of work ethic, accountability and persistence,” he added. “They taught me that this career requires sacrifice, but there’s also no greater reward than seeing a child recover after facing difficult odds.”
A Foundation for Future Fellows
With his Phoenix Children’s fellowship complete, Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo will continue his training as a third-year general surgery resident at the University of Puerto Rico, with plans to pursue cardiac and congenital heart surgery training in the future.
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said he hopes his legacy as the Center for Heart Care’s first dedicated research fellow will reach beyond his investigations and publications. Together with his mentors, he’s built a foundation for advanced training that demonstrates how talent, mentorship and institutional support can strengthen research and improve care. As a result, Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said he envisions a broader program for the next generation of fellows.
Dr. Velez has watched that vision take shape over the length of the fellowship. “The most rewarding aspect has been witnessing Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo’s growth over the past 18 months,” he said. “Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo helped us establish a model that can serve as a foundation for future research fellows and further strengthen our academic mission.”
“I hope future fellows continue the current projects, expand them and develop new research questions from the clinical work done every day at Phoenix Children’s,” Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo said. “This fellowship could become a strong academic pathway for trainees who want to contribute meaningfully to congenital heart surgery research, and I hope future fellows help bring that work to the national stage.”
Dr. Quiñones-Carrasquillo’s body of peer-reviewed work includes:
- Quiñones-Carrasquillo, S., Nowlen, T., Alaeddine, M., Kisamori, E., & Velez, D. A. (2026). Dual-Drainage Infradiaphragmatic TAPVR With Splenic Venous Connection: What You See Is Not What You Get. Case reports, 31(22), 107932. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccas.2026.107932
- Quiñones-Carrasquillo, S., Giammarino, T. M., Alaeddine, M., Kisamori, E., & Velez, D. A. (2026). When plans change: Surgical implantation of a transcatheter pulmonary valve in hypoplastic left heart syndrome. JTCVS Techniques, 36, 102198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjtc.2026.102198
- Quiñones-Carrasquillo, S., Bhat, D., & Alaeddine, M. (2025). Reply: Turn down for WHO? Understanding adequate patient selection for thoracic duct decompression in Fontan-associated protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). JTCVS Techniques, 34, 180–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjtc.2025.08.014
- Sabati, A., Alaeddine, M., Quiñones-Carrasquillo, S., Almasarweh, S., & Bhat, D. (2025). Optimizing outcomes for patients undergoing superior cavopulmonary connection procedure: what we know. Future Cardiology, 21(12), 1177–1185. https://doi.org/10.1080/14796678.2025.2598218
Learn more about the Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery Fellowship at Phoenix Children’s Center for Heart Care.
For more information about Phoenix Children’s Center for Heart Care and its comprehensive care for children with congenital heart disease — including catheterization, imaging, surgery and multidisciplinary follow-up — or to refer a patient or request a consultation, call 602-933-KIDS (5437).