Rachel Vanderlaan

Dr. Rachel Vanderlaan pursued her medical education at the University of Toronto, where she completed a prestigious combined MD/PhD program, earning her PhD in Molecular Genetics. Following this, she underwent residency training in Cardiac Surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Vanderlaan further specialized by completing a fellowship in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). To deepen her expertise, she spent an additional year as a Clinical Instructor in Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Columbia University, New York. She then returned to SickKids as a dedicated staff cardiovascular surgeon.

Research

Dr. Vanderlaan’s research is centered on pulmonary vascular diseases, particularly pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS), a rare paediatric condition. Her lab investigates how mechanical forces impact pulmonary vascular biology, using in vivo models, in vitro systems, and computational flow dynamics in collaboration with Dr. Christina Amon at the University of Toronto. This research aims to identify critical pathways and develop new treatments for PVS. Additionally, Dr. Vanderlaan is the co-director of the PVS Network and leads the PVS Network Registry study, the largest of its kind in North America, exploring patient outcomes, genetics and biomarkers to improve clinical care for children with PVS.