Meet Dr. Justin Godown

Dr. Justin Godown received his medical degree from the University of Rochester and completed a pediatrics residency at the University of North Carolina and pediatric cardiology fellowship at the University of Michigan.  He then joined the faculty at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where he underwent additional training in pediatric heart failure and heart transplantation.  Dr. Godown is heavily involved in clinical research with particular interests in data linkage, organ allocation systems, and expanding donor utilization.

Q & A

WITH DR. JUSTIN GODOWN

Q: What made you decide to go into medicine and focusing on specifically pediatric heart transplantation?

A: The patients and their families.  As providers, we become very close to many of the patients we treat as well as their family members.  We truly want the best for them and it is very rewarding to see a patient with severe heart failure come to the clinic following transplant and show such drastic improvement.

Q: What new emerging technologies are most exciting to you personally/professionally?

A: Advances in ventricular assist devices are very exciting, but we clearly have a long way to go to optimize this technology.

Q: What area would you like to see more research funding?

A: Research focusing on optimizing the availability and utilization of pediatric donor hearts is critically important and we certainly need more studies in this area.

Q: On a more personal note, what was your favorite toy growing up?

A: My baseball glove

Q: As a child, what were your favorite tv shows or Disney movies?

A: I was particularly fond of the Smurfs.  As for movies, the Goonies was great.  Good Will Hunting is also one of my favorites.