Fellow Spotlight: Bret Pinsker, MD

Bret Pinsker, MD, grew up in Palo Alto, where his father worked as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and helped inspire his interest in medicine. He earned his bachelor’s degree in behavioral biology from Johns Hopkins University, then completed his medical degree and internal medicine residency at Duke University, where he developed an interest in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and cardiac electrophysiology.

“These patients have been through a lot, and their anatomy and management are incredibly complex,” said Dr. Pinsker. He worked in the lab of Richard Krasuski, MD, an ACHD researcher, studying cardiac pacing in the Fontan population and arrhythmias in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

“I chose UCSF for fellowship because it has very strong programs in both ACHD and electrophysiology, and because the program is so supportive of whatever path fellows decide to pursue,” said Dr. Pinsker. He plans to pursue subspecialty training and become an academic cardiologist who cares for patients and pursues research. His hobbies include swimming, playing water polo, fishing and hiking.