Joel Ramirez, MD
RESIDENT PHYSICIAN
Surgery
School of Medicine

He then received his medical degree from the UCSF School of Medicine, graduating with Distinction in Clinical and Translation Research, and as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.

As a medical student, Dr. Ramirez conducted an NIH-funded pre-doctoral research fellowship with the UCSF Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, under the mentorship of several faculty, including Dr. Marlene Grenon and Dr. Jade Hiramoto. As a medical student, he was the recipient of numerous other research fellowships, awards, and honors, including the American Medical Association Foundation Physicians of Tomorrow Award, the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation Student Research Fellowship for two consecutive years, the American Heart Association Student Scholarship in Cardiovascular Disease, and the Association for Academic Surgery Senior Medical Student Award, among many others.

After medical school, Dr. Ramirez joined the UCSF Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery as the inaugural integrated vascular surgery resident. As the inaugural resident, he was intimately involved in mentorship and the development of the training and educational program. He then completed a post-doctoral research fellowship under the guidance of Dr. Michael Conte and Dr. Adam Oskowitz. During this fellowship, he worked to develop a clinical pipeline for vascular tissue, digestion, and transcriptomics analysis. His research was supported by the NIH, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, and the Bakar ImmunoX Initiative.

• Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms have reduced levels of microRNA 122-5p in circulating exosomes.
  PloS one 2023 Lopez JL, Ramirez JL, Phu TA, Duong P, Bouchareychas L, Kuhrau CR, Lin PY, Eckalbar WL, Barczak AJ, Rudolph JD, Maliskova L, Conte MS, Vartanian SM, Raffai RL, Oskowitz AZ
• Plasma Gut Microbe-Derived Metabolites Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease and Major Adverse Cardiac Events.
  Microorganisms 2022 Ho KJ, Ramirez JL, Kulkarni R, Harris KG, Helenowski I, Xiong L, Ozaki CK, Grenon SM
• Anemia is associated with higher mortality and morbidity after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2022 Yin K, Willie-Permor D, Zarrintan S, Dakour-Aridi H, Ramirez JL, Iannuzzi JC, Naazie I, Malas MB
• Capturing the complexity of open abdominal aortic surgery in the endovascular era.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2022 Woodford C, El Khoury R, Ramirez JL, Liu IH, Lancaster EM, Nacario J, Hiramoto JS, Eichler CM, Reilly LM, Iannuzzi JC, Conte MS
• Cadaver Simulation is Associated with Increased Comfort in Performing Open Vascular Surgery Among Integrated Vascular Surgery (0+5) Residents and Recent Graduates.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2022 Ramirez JL, Nehler MR, Mohebali J, Smith EJT, Al-Musawi MH, McDevitt D, Smeds MR, Zarkowsky DS
• Interview experience, post-interview communication, and gender-based differences in the integrated vascular surgery residency match.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2021 Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Morrow KL, Sorondo S, Lee JT, Coleman DM, Chandra V
• Factors influencing medical student choices in the integrated vascular surgery match: Implications for future post-pandemic residency matches.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2021 Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Morrow KL, Chandra V, Coleman DM, Lee JT
• Aortic Neck IFU Violations During EVAR for Ruptured Infrarenal Aortic Aneurysms are Associated with Increased In-Hospital Mortality.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2021 Zarkowsky DS, Sorber R, Ramirez JL, Goodney PP, Iannuzzi JC, Wohlauer M, Hicks CW
• Understanding value and patient complexity among common inpatient vascular surgery procedures.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2021 Ramirez JL, Lopez J, Sanders K, Schneider PA, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Sosa JA, Iannuzzi JC
• Closure device use for common femoral artery antegrade access is higher risk than retrograde access.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2021 Ramirez JL, Smith EJT, Zarkowsky DS, Lopez J, Hicks CW, Schneider PA, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC
• Self-Perceived Comfort Performing Vascular Surgery Procedures among Senior Vascular Surgery Trainees and Recent Graduates.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2021 Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Mohebali J, Nehler MR, Lopez J, Al-Musawi MH, McDevitt D, Smeds MR
• Depression Predicts Non-Home Discharge After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2021 Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Ramirez FD, Gasper WJ, Cohen BE, Conte MS, Grenon SM, Iannuzzi JC
• Long-term Lower Extremity and Cardiovascular Complications after Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplant.
  Clinical transplantation 2021 Amara D, Braun HJ, Shui AM, Sorrentino T, Ramirez JL, Lin J, Liu IH, Mello A, Stock PG, Hiramoto JS
• Patients with depression are less likely to go home after critical limb revascularization.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2020 Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Arya S, Grenon SM, Gasper WJ, Sosa JA, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC
• Prenatal and Childhood Tobacco Smoke Exposure Are Associated With Sleep-Disordered Breathing Throughout Early Childhood.
  Academic pediatrics 2020 Ramirez FD, Groner JA, Ramirez JL, McEvoy CT, Owens JA, McCulloch CE, Cabana MD, Abuabara K
• A novel preoperative risk score for nonhome discharge after elective thoracic endovascular aortic repair.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2020 Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Boitano LT, Conrad MF, Arya S, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC
• Living in a Food Desert is Associated with 30-day Readmission after Revascularization for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2020 Smith EJT, Ramirez JL, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Gasper WJ, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC
• Increased Reintervention After Infrainguinal Revascularization for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia in Women.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2020 Wu B, Lancaster EM, Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Reyzelman AM, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Hiramoto JS
• Patient complexity by surgical specialty does not correlate with work relative value units.
  Surgery 2020 Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Seib CD, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Sosa JA, Iannuzzi JC
• Natural history of acute pediatric iliofemoral artery thrombosis treated with anticoagulation.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2020 Ramirez JL, Kuhrau CR, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Conte MS, Oskowitz AZ, Nijagal A, Vartanian SM
• Antegrade common femoral artery closure device use is associated with decreased complications.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2020 Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Sorrentino TA, Hicks CW, Vartanian SM, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC
• A national post-Match webinar panel improves knowledge and preparedness of medical students interested in vascular surgery training.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2019 Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Dossabhoy SS, Brahmandam A, Dardik A, Ochoa Chaar CI
• Association of comorbid depression with inpatient outcomes in critical limb ischemia.
  Vascular medicine (London, England) 2019 Zahner GJ, Cortez A, Duralde E, Ramirez JL, Wang S, Hiramoto J, Cohen BE, Wolkowitz OM, Arya S, Hills NK, Grenon SM
• Late graft failure is rare after endovascular aneurysm repair using the Zenith stent graft in a cohort of high-risk patients.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2019 Ramirez JL, Schaller MS, Wu B, Reilly LM, Chuter TAM, Hiramoto JS
• Peripheral Artery Disease Is Associated with a Deficiency of Erythrocyte Membrane n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.
  Lipids 2019 Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Khetani SA, Hills NK, Gasper WJ, Harris WS, Cohen BE, Grenon SM
• Fish Oil Increases Specialized Pro-resolving Lipid Mediators in PAD (The OMEGA-PAD II Trial).
  The Journal of surgical research 2019 Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Hills NK, Mitchell PT, Sansbury BE, Conte MS, Spite M, Grenon SM
• Leptinemia is Associated With Peripheral Artery Disease.
  The Journal of surgical research 2019 Zahner GJ, Ramirez JL, Spaulding KA, Khetani SA, Gasper WJ, Grunfeld C, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM
• Giant right coronary artery aneurysm presenting as cardiac tamponade.
  Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery 2018 Ramirez JL, Kratz JR, Wieselthaler GM
• Radial Artery Tonometry is Associated With Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.
  The Journal of surgical research 2018 Ramirez JL, Spaulding KA, Zahner GJ, Khetani SA, Schaller MS, Gasper WJ, Hills NK, Marlene Grenon S
• Serum resistin is associated with impaired endothelial function and a higher rate of adverse cardiac events in patients with peripheral artery disease.
  Journal of vascular surgery 2018 Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Schaller MS, Gasper WJ, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM
• Depression and peripheral artery disease: why we should care and what we can do.
  CVIR endovascular 2018 Ramirez JL, Grenon SM
• Intraoperative identification and treatment of a giant right coronary artery aneurysm.
  Multimedia manual of cardiothoracic surgery : MMCTS 2018 Ramirez J, Wieselthaler G, Kratz J
• Depression severity is associated with increased inflammation in veterans with peripheral artery disease.
  Vascular medicine (London, England) 2018 Hernandez NV, Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Spaulding KA, Gasper WJ, Hiramoto J, Lindqvist D, Wolkowitz OM, Hills NK, Grenon SM, Zahner GJ
• Surgical Management of Pulmonary Mucormycosis in Third-Trimester Pregnancy.
  The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon reports 2018 Ramirez JL, Urisman A, Kukreja J, Kratz JR
• Review of biologic and behavioral risk factors linking depression and peripheral artery disease.
  Vascular medicine (London, England) 2018 Ramirez JL, Drudi LM, Grenon SM
• Frailty Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Stable Claudication.
  Annals of vascular surgery 2018 Schaller MS, Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Zahner GJ, Hills NK, Grenon SM
• Characterizing the relationship between flow-mediated vasodilation and radial artery tonometry in peripheral artery disease.
  The Journal of surgical research 2017 Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Ramirez JL, Schaller MS, Walker SC, Hills NK, Gasper WJ, Grenon SM