Ryan Levy, MD

Dr. Ryan M. Levy is a exceptionally skilled surgeon, administrator, and strategic program builder who serves as the Division Chief of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.  Dr. Levy completed the entirety of his medical education and surgical training at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was swiftly recruited to join the faculty upon graduation.  In his former role as Chief of Thoracic Surgery at UPMC Passavant, Dr. Levy guided the program into its current status as one of the highest volume sites for complex lung and esophageal surgery in Pennsylvania with outstanding clinical outcomes.  In addition, he has helped lead the introduction of robotic bronchoscopy technology into the thoracic surgery program at UPMC.  Based on his unique program building talents, he was subsequently appointed to Vice Chair of Thoracic Expansion and Community Outreach.  Dr. Levy oversees programmatic growth and strategic planning for the Department’s thoracic surgery programs.  His leadership has led to significant program growth and increased access for patients in the western Pennsylvania region to the Department’s outstanding surgeons.  Based on this success, Dr. Levy was appointed Chief of the Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2023.

Dr. Levy has published over 40 peer reviewed manuscripts with a focus on clinical outcomes of minimally invasive esophageal and lung surgery.   Dr. Levy has been invited to lecture numerous times in the region and on the national stage.  He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and Society of University Surgeons.  He has mentored dozens of medical students, residents, fellows, and has a strong national reputation for developing early-career faculty who have gone on to lead thoracic surgery programs across the country.  Dr. Levy operates at UPMC Passavant, UPMC Shadyside, and UPMC Hamot.  In his new leadership role as Division Chief, Dr. Levy will continue to expand our world-class thoracic surgery program further into Western and Central Pennsylvania communities, recruit top-tier surgeon and investigator talent to the Division, and most importantly, drive program achievement of nation-leading clinical outcomes in both routine and complex thoracic surgery, that have been the longstanding hallmark of his practice.