Shirling Tsai, M.D.

Shirling Tsai, M.D., specializes in vascular surgery. 

Dr. Tsai holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and physics from Harvard College, where she graduated summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed a residency in general surgery and research fellowship in vascular biology at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She then received advanced training in vascular and endovascular surgery through a fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Board certified in general surgery and vascular surgery, Dr. Tsai joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2012. She also serves as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Dallas VA Medical Center and the Program Director for the Vascular Surgery Fellowship and Integrated Residency Training Programs.

Dr. Tsai is the site-PI in several clinical trials funded by NIH, DoD, VA Merit Review, and industry.  She also conducts research on the role of lipoprotein receptors and lipids in the development of atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease. She is the Chair of the Dallas VA Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a member of the Dallas VA Research and Development Committee.

Dr. Tsai is a member the American College of Surgeons, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery, the American Heart Association, and the Association of VA Surgeons.  She is an Associate Editor for Annals of Vascular Surgery and serves on the Editorial Board for Nature Scientific Reports and Journal of Vascular Surgery.

Medical School

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2003)

Fellowship

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science (2008), Research

Residency

New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical Center (2010), General Surgery

Fellowship

Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (2012), Vascular Surgery

• Genetics of abdominal aortic aneurysms
• Lipoprotein Receptor signaling mechanisms in aortic aneurysm pathogenesis
• Outcomes after peripheral vascular interventions

Featured Publications

Role of Lipoprotein A in Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease.

Banerjee R, Weideman S, Fernandez-Vazquez D, Banerjee A, Hasan A, Tsai S, Am J Cardiol 2023 Jul 198 47-49

Comparative Outcomes of Interventions for Femoropopliteal Chronic Total Occlusion Versus Non-Chronic Total Occlusion Lesions From the Multicenter XLPAD Registry.

Tsai S, Liu Y, Hoang L, Vu M, Lu H, Ramanan B, Fernandez Vazquez D, Rosol Z, Sayfo S, Alaiti MA, Koutakis P, Brilakis ES, Shishehbor MH, Banerjee S, J Am Heart Assoc 2023 Jun 12 12 e028425

Short-Term Outcomes After Retrograde Versus Antegrade Crossing Approaches for Femoropopliteal Occlusive Disease.

Meadors S, Klein A, Jeon-Slaughter H, Jawaid O, Armstrong EJ, Banerjee R, Alaiti MA, Ramanan B, Modrall JG, Banerjee S, Tsai S, J Invasive Cardiol 2023 Jan 35 1 E31-E36

Current Predictors of Mortality in Veteran Patients Undergoing Major Lower Extremity Amputations: Risk Factors Have Not Changed and Mortality Remains High.

Tsai S, Lanier HD, Tran N, Pham T, Huerta S, Am Surg 2022 Feb 31348221074235

No benefit of vorapaxar on walking performance in patients with intermittent claudication.

Tsai S, Liu Y, Alaiti MA, Gutierrez JA, Brilakis ES, Banerjee S, Vasc Med 2021 Oct 1358863X211042082

Effect of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Size on Mid-Term Mortality After Endovascular Repair.

Kim S, Jeon-Slaughter H, Chen X, Ramanan B, Kirkwood ML, Timaran CH, Modrall JG, Tsai S, J Surg Res 2021 Jul 267 443-451

Reelin Depletion Protects Against Atherosclerosis by Decreasing Vascular Adhesion of Leukocytes.

Calvier L, Xian X, Lee RG, Sacharidou A, Mineo C, Shaul PW, Kounnas MZ, Tsai S, Herz J, Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2021 04 41 4 1309-1318

Developing an Internally Validated Veterans Affairs Women Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score Using Veterans Affairs National Electronic Health Records.

Jeon-Slaughter H, Chen X, Tsai S, Ramanan B, Ebrahimi R, J Am Heart Assoc 2021 Feb 10 5 e019217

Coronary and peripheral artery plaques: do differences in plaque characteristics translate to differences in lipid management?

Tsai S, Vega GL, J Investig Med 2020 08 68 6 1141-1151

Rate of Secondary Intervention After Open Versus Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Krishnamoorthi H, Jeon-Slaughter H, Wall A, Banerjee S, Ramanan B, Timaran C, Modrall JG, Tsai S J. Surg. Res. 2018 Dec 232 99-106