Clinical Research is performed within The Heart Institute and directed primarily by Dr. Vaughn Starnes, the Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at CHLA and at USC, and by his Dept. members Dr. Mark Barr, and Dr. Winfield Wells. Dr. Starnes is involved in a number of Clinical trials, such as barrier films to prevent adhesions during open-heart surgery (with Dr. Wells) and the use of Viagra to treat pulmonary hypertension (with colleagues in Cardiology). The group is exploring new surgical techniques for the repair of congenital cardiopulmonary defects in neonates. Dr. Barr is working to advance organ preservation technologies and to develop new strategies for the treatment and prevention of chronic rejection in heart and lung transplant patients.