University of California San Francisco

Joel Ramirez, MD

Joel Ramirez
Joel
Ramirez
MD

Graduate
Vascular Surgery (Integrated) Residency Program, 2026

Biography

Joel L. Ramirez, MD, is the inaugural UCSF Integrated Vascular Surgery resident. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated with Honors with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He then received his medical degree from the UCSF School of Medicine, graduating with Distinction in Clinical and Translation Research, and as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.

As a medical student, Dr. Ramirez conducted an NIH-funded pre-doctoral research fellowship with the UCSF Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, under the mentorship of several faculty, including Dr. Marlene Grenon and Dr. Jade Hiramoto. As a medical student, he was the recipient of numerous other research fellowships, awards, and honors, including the American Medical Association Foundation Physicians of Tomorrow Award, the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation Student Research Fellowship for two consecutive years, the American Heart Association Student Scholarship in Cardiovascular Disease, and the Association for Academic Surgery Senior Medical Student Award, among many others.

After medical school, Dr. Ramirez joined the UCSF Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery as the inaugural integrated vascular surgery resident. As the inaugural resident, he was intimately involved in mentorship and the development of the training and educational program. He then completed a post-doctoral research fellowship under the guidance of Dr. Michael Conte and Dr. Adam Oskowitz. During this fellowship, he worked to develop a clinical pipeline for vascular tissue, digestion, and transcriptomics analysis. His research was supported by the NIH, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, and the Bakar ImmunoX Initiative.

Education

Institution Degree Dept or School End Date
University of California, San Francisco MD (with Distinction) Medicine 06/2019
University of California, San Francisco Clinical and Translational Research 06/2018
University of California, Irvine BS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 09/2013

Awards & Honors

Award Conferred By Date
Hellman Family Clinical-Translational Research Development Award Bakar ImmunoX 2023
Seed Grant Fellows Advancement Skills Training in Clinical Research (FAST-CaR) 2023
Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (R38) Fellowship National Institutes of Health 2023
Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub Physician-Scientist Fellow Chan Zuckerberg Biohub 2022
Senior Medical Student Award Association for Academic Surgery 2019
Long-Term Dean’s Prize in Research, Finalist University of California, San Francisco 2019
Steinhart Scholarship Award University of California, San Francisco 2019
Robert Hye Memorial Best Resident Presentation Award, Second Place Western Vascular Society 2019
Physicians of Tomorrow Award American Medical Association Foundation 2018
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Trainee Award Burroughs Wellcome Fund 2018
Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Hispanic Scholarship Fund 2018
Jayne M. Perkins Memorial Award and Scholarship Jayne M. Perkins Foundation 2018
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship Johnson & Johnson 2018
National Alumni Council Scholarship National Medical Fellowships 2018
Alan T. Hirsch Award Society for Vascular Medicine 2018
Long-Term Dean’s Prize in Research, Finalist University of California, San Francisco 2018
Robert Hye Memorial Best Resident Presentation Award, First Place Western Vascular Society 2018

Clinical Interests

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms

Complex endovascular surgery

Open and endovascular aortic surgery

Book Chapters

Ramirez JL, Kratz JR. “Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction for Companion Diagnostics and Precision Medicine Application”. Companion Diagnostics in Precision Medicine. Ed. Il-Jin Kim. Singapore: Pan Stanford Publishing, 2019. 55-67. Print.

Ramirez JL, Ramirez FD, Zarkowsky DS, Gasper WJ, Cohen BE, Conte MS, Grenon SM, Iannuzzi JC. Depression Predicts Non-Home Discharge After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair. 2019 Northern California Chapter, American College of Surgeons Annual Educational Meeting; 2019 March; Berkeley, CA.

Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Boitano LT, Conrad MF, Arya S, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC. A Novel Preoperative Risk Score to Identify Patients at High Risk for Non-Home Discharge After Elective Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair (TEVAR). To be presented at the 2019 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress; 2019 October; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Seib CD, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Sosa JA, Iannuzzi JC. Patient Complexity Varies by Surgical Specialty and Does Not Strongly Correlate with Work Relative Value Units. To be presented at the 2019 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress; 2019 October; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Arya S, Grenon SM, Gasper WJ, Sosa JA, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC. Patients with Depression Are Less Likely to Go Home After Critical Limb Revascularization. To be presented at the 2019 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress; 2019 October; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Seib CD, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Sosa JA, Iannuzzi JC. Vascular Surgery is Complex but Undervalued by Work Relative Value Units. To be presented at the Western Vascular Society 34th Annual Meeting; 2019 September; Maui, HI.

Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Sorrentino TA, Hicks CW, Vartanian SM, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC. Antegrade Common Femoral Artery Closure Device Use is Safe and Associated with Decreased Complications. To be presented at the Western Vascular Society 34th Annual Meeting; 2019 September; Maui, HI.

Ramirez JL, Kuhrau C, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Conte MS, Oskowitz AZ, Nijagal A, Vartanian SM. Natural History of Acute Pediatric Iliofemoral Artery Thrombosis Treated with Antithrombotic Therapy. To be presented at the Western Vascular Society 34th Annual Meeting; 2019 September; Maui, HI.

Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Seib CD, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Sosa JA, Iannuzzi JC. Patient Complexity Varies by Surgical Specialty and Does Not Strongly Correlate with Work Relative Value Units. UCSF Department of Surgery 32nd Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium; 2019 April; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Ramirez FD, Zarkowsky DS, Gasper WJ, Cohen BE, Conte MS, Grenon SM, Iannuzzi JC. Depression Predicts Non-Home Discharge After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair. 2019 Northern California Chapter, American College of Surgeons Annual Educational Meeting; 2019 March; Berkeley, CA.

Ramirez JL, Magaret CA, Khetani SA, Rhyne RF, Barnes G, Peters C, Iannuzzi JC, Grenon SM. A Novel Machine Learning-Driven Clinical and Proteomic Tool for the Diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease. 2019 Vascular Annual Meeting; 2019 June; National Harbor, MD.

Ramirez JL, Ramirez FD, Zarkowsky DS, Gasper WJ, Cohen BE, Conte MS, Grenon SM, Iannuzzi JC. Depression Predicts Non-Home Discharge After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair. 2019 Vascular Annual Meeting; 2019 June; National Harbor, MD.

Ramirez JL, Magaret CA, Khetani SA, Rhyne RF, Barnes G, Peters C, Iannuzzi JC, Grenon SM. A Novel Machine Learning-Driven Clinical and Proteomic Tool for the Diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease. 2019 SVS Vascular Research Initiatives Conference; 2019 May; Boston, MA.

Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Eichler CM, Conte MS. Two-Stage Hybrid Repair of a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm with Aortobronchial Fistula After Open Repair for Aortic Coarctation and TEVAR. 47th Annual Symposium of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery; 2019 March; Boca Raton, FL.

Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Reyzelman AM, Conte MS. Open Peripheral Revascularization for Limb Salvage After Failed Peripheral Angioplasty and Recommended Amputation for a Non-Healing Diabetic Ulcer. 47th Annual Symposium of the Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery; 2019 March; Boca Raton, FL.

Ramirez JL, Schaller MS, Wu B, Reilly LM, Chuter TAM, Hiramoto JS. Late Graft Failure is Rare After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Using the Zenith Stent-Graft: Fifteen-year Outcomes in a Cohort of High-Risk Patients. Western Vascular Society 33rd Annual Meeting; 2018 September; Santa Fe, NM.

Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Schaller MS, Gasper GJ, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM. Serum Resistin is Associated with Impaired Endothelial Function and a Higher Rate of Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease. 2018 Vascular Annual Meeting; 2018 June; Boston, MA.

Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Hills NK, Sansbury BE, Conte MS, Spite M, Grenon SM. 3 Months of Fish Oil Supplementation Increases Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (The OMEGA-PAD II Trial). The Society for Vascular Medicine 29th Annual Scientific Sessions; 2018 June; Chicago, IL.

Ramirez JL, Spaulding KA, Zahner GJ, Khetani SA, Schaller MS, Gasper WJ, Hills NK, Grenon SM. Increased Radial Artery Tonometry is Associated with an Increased Rate of Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease. The Society for Vascular Medicine 29th Annual Scientific Sessions; 2018 June; Chicago, IL.

Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Schaller MS, Gasper GJ, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM. Serum Resistin is Associated with Impaired Endothelial Function and Poor Outcomes in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease. 2018 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference; 2018 May; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Khetani SA, Hills NK, Gasper WJ, Harris WS, Cohen BE, Grenon SM. Peripheral Artery Disease is Associated with a Deficiency of Erythrocyte N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. The University of California, San Francisco Inquiry Symposium; 2018 May; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Khetani SA, Spaulding KA, Hills NK, Grenon SM. Characterizing Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators and Synthesis Pathways in Veterans with Peripheral Artery Disease. The Association for Clinical and Translational Science’s Annual Translational Science Meeting; 2018 April; Washington, DC.

Theologis A, Ramirez JL, Diab M. Pre-operative CT angiography informs instrumentation in anterior spinal tethering for idiopathic scoliosis. The University of California, San Francisco Pathways Explore Symposium; 2016 January; San Francisco, CA.

Ramirez JL, Lee D, Subramanya A, McDonough A. Regulation of kinases that control sodium transport in experimental hypertension. The Keck School of Medicine of USC Bridging the Gaps Research Symposium; 2013 August; Los Angeles, CA.

Ramirez JL, Johnson B, Frostig R. Retrograde axonal transport of AAV 2/1 correlates with the apparent pattern of long-range radial projection in the rat cortex. The University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences Excellence in Research Symposium; 2013 May; Irvine, CA.

Research Interests

Clinical outcomes of complex open and endovascular aortic surgery

Biomarkers associated with arterial aneurysms

Role of local inflammation and cellular environments on aortic aneurysm development

Research Pathways

Basic Biomedical & Translational Research
Clinical Discovery & Health Services Research

Publications

MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 42
  1. Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals CXCL12+ Fibroblasts as Central Immune Organizers through CXCR4 Signaling in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.
    Levy-Lambert D, Ramirez JL, Shaikh S, De Jeronimo Diaz C, Huang AG, Combes A, Fragiadakis GK, Fidler TP, Oskowitz AZ| | PubMed
  2. Low rates of aortic surveillance imaging and clinical follow-up in patients with acute aortic dissection.
    Flanagan CP, Kim AS, Ramirez JL, Mangipudi SA, Smith EJT, Conte MS, Hiramoto JS| | PubMed
  3. A Novel Preoperative Risk Score to Identify Patients at High Risk for Nonhome Discharge after Elective Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.
    Ramirez JL, Sung E, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Boitano LT, Ulloa JG, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  4. Assessing the Readability of English and Spanish Online Patient Educational Materials for Deep Venous Thrombosis.
    Wang KM, Ramirez JL, Iannuzzi JC, Ulloa JG| | PubMed
  5. Endovascular release of an Adams-DeWeese clip and iliocaval reconstruction for debilitating lower extremity swelling.
    Sung E, Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky D| | PubMed
  6. Readability of Spanish-Language Online Patient Educational Materials for Peripheral Artery Disease Do Not Meet Recommended Standards and Represent a Literacy Barrier to Care.
    Ramirez JL, Wang K, Sung E, Hernandez S, Le M, Avra TD, Talutis S, Iannuzzi JC, Ulloa JG| | PubMed
  7. Development and Validation of a Novel Preoperative Risk Score to Identify Patients at Risk for Nonhome Discharge after Elective Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair (EVAR).
    Ramirez JL, Sung E, Jaramillo E, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Boitano L, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  8. Decreasing prevalence of centers meeting the Society for Vascular Surgery abdominal aortic aneurysm guidelines in the United States.
    Ramirez JL, Matthay ZA, Lancaster E, Smith EJT, Gasper WJ, Zarkowsky DS, Doyle AJ, Patel VI, Schanzer A, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  9. Proximal Instructions for Use Violations in Elective Endovascular Aneurysm Repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative: Retrospective Analysis.
    Ramirez JL, Govsyeyev N, Sorber R, Iannuzzi JC, Schanzer AS, Hicks CW, Malas MB, Zarkowsky DS| | PubMed
  10. Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms have reduced levels of microRNA 122-5p in circulating exosomes.
    Lopez JL, Ramirez JL, Phu TA, Duong P, Bouchareychas L, Kuhrau CR, Lin PY, Eckalbar WL, Barczak AJ, Rudolph JD, Maliskova L, Conte MS, Vartanian SM, Raffai RL, Oskowitz AZ| | PubMed
  11. Plasma Gut Microbe-Derived Metabolites Associated with Peripheral Artery Disease and Major Adverse Cardiac Events.
    Ho KJ, Ramirez JL, Kulkarni R, Harris KG, Helenowski I, Xiong L, Ozaki CK, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  12. Anemia is associated with higher mortality and morbidity after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.
    Yin K, Willie-Permor D, Zarrintan S, Dakour-Aridi H, Ramirez JL, Iannuzzi JC, Naazie I, Malas MB| | PubMed
  13. Capturing the complexity of open abdominal aortic surgery in the endovascular era.
    Woodford C, El Khoury R, Ramirez JL, Liu IH, Lancaster EM, Nacario J, Hiramoto JS, Eichler CM, Reilly LM, Iannuzzi JC, Conte MS| | PubMed
  14. Cadaver Simulation is Associated with Increased Comfort in Performing Open Vascular Surgery Among Integrated Vascular Surgery (0+5) Residents and Recent Graduates.
    Ramirez JL, Nehler MR, Mohebali J, Smith EJT, Al-Musawi MH, McDevitt D, Smeds MR, Zarkowsky DS| | PubMed
  15. Interview experience, post-interview communication, and gender-based differences in the integrated vascular surgery residency match.
    Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Morrow KL, Sorondo S, Lee JT, Coleman DM, Chandra V| | PubMed
  16. Factors influencing medical student choices in the integrated vascular surgery match: Implications for future post-pandemic residency matches.
    Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Morrow KL, Chandra V, Coleman DM, Lee JT| | PubMed
  17. Aortic Neck IFU Violations During EVAR for Ruptured Infrarenal Aortic Aneurysms are Associated with Increased In-Hospital Mortality.
    Zarkowsky DS, Sorber R, Ramirez JL, Goodney PP, Iannuzzi JC, Wohlauer M, Hicks CW| | PubMed
  18. Closure device use for common femoral artery antegrade access is higher risk than retrograde access.
    Ramirez JL, Smith EJT, Zarkowsky DS, Lopez J, Hicks CW, Schneider PA, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  19. Self-Perceived Comfort Performing Vascular Surgery Procedures among Senior Vascular Surgery Trainees and Recent Graduates.
    Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Mohebali J, Nehler MR, Lopez J, Al-Musawi MH, McDevitt D, Smeds MR| | PubMed
  20. Depression Predicts Non-Home Discharge After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.
    Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Ramirez FD, Gasper WJ, Cohen BE, Conte MS, Grenon SM, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  21. Long-term Lower Extremity and Cardiovascular Complications after Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplant.
    Amara D, Braun HJ, Shui AM, Sorrentino T, Ramirez JL, Lin J, Liu IH, Mello A, Stock PG, Hiramoto JS| | PubMed
  22. Prenatal and Childhood Tobacco Smoke Exposure Are Associated With Sleep-Disordered Breathing Throughout Early Childhood.
    Ramirez FD, Groner JA, Ramirez JL, McEvoy CT, Owens JA, McCulloch CE, Cabana MD, Abuabara K| | PubMed
  23. A novel preoperative risk score for nonhome discharge after elective thoracic endovascular aortic repair.
    Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Boitano LT, Conrad MF, Arya S, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  24. Living in a Food Desert is Associated with 30-day Readmission after Revascularization for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.
    Smith EJT, Ramirez JL, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Gasper WJ, Finlayson E, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  25. Increased Reintervention After Infrainguinal Revascularization for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia in Women.
    Wu B, Lancaster EM, Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Reyzelman AM, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Hiramoto JS| | PubMed
  26. Natural history of acute pediatric iliofemoral artery thrombosis treated with anticoagulation.
    Ramirez JL, Kuhrau CR, Wu B, Zarkowsky DS, Conte MS, Oskowitz AZ, Nijagal A, Vartanian SM| | PubMed
  27. Antegrade common femoral artery closure device use is associated with decreased complications.
    Ramirez JL, Zarkowsky DS, Sorrentino TA, Hicks CW, Vartanian SM, Gasper WJ, Conte MS, Iannuzzi JC| | PubMed
  28. A national post-Match webinar panel improves knowledge and preparedness of medical students interested in vascular surgery training.
    Fereydooni A, Ramirez JL, Dossabhoy SS, Brahmandam A, Dardik A, Ochoa Chaar CI| | PubMed
  29. Association of comorbid depression with inpatient outcomes in critical limb ischemia.
    Zahner GJ, Cortez A, Duralde E, Ramirez JL, Wang S, Hiramoto J, Cohen BE, Wolkowitz OM, Arya S, Hills NK, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  30. Late graft failure is rare after endovascular aneurysm repair using the Zenith stent graft in a cohort of high-risk patients.
    Ramirez JL, Schaller MS, Wu B, Reilly LM, Chuter TAM, Hiramoto JS| | PubMed
  31. Peripheral Artery Disease Is Associated with a Deficiency of Erythrocyte Membrane n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.
    Ramirez JL, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Khetani SA, Hills NK, Gasper WJ, Harris WS, Cohen BE, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  32. Fish Oil Increases Specialized Pro-resolving Lipid Mediators in PAD (The OMEGA-PAD II Trial).
    Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Hills NK, Mitchell PT, Sansbury BE, Conte MS, Spite M, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  33. Leptinemia is Associated With Peripheral Artery Disease.
    Zahner GJ, Ramirez JL, Spaulding KA, Khetani SA, Gasper WJ, Grunfeld C, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  34. Giant right coronary artery aneurysm presenting as cardiac tamponade.
    Ramirez JL, Kratz JR, Wieselthaler GM| | PubMed
  35. Radial Artery Tonometry is Associated With Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.
    Ramirez JL, Spaulding KA, Zahner GJ, Khetani SA, Schaller MS, Gasper WJ, Hills NK, Marlene Grenon S| | PubMed
  36. Serum resistin is associated with impaired endothelial function and a higher rate of adverse cardiac events in patients with peripheral artery disease.
    Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Schaller MS, Gasper WJ, Hills NK, Schafer AL, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  37. Depression and peripheral artery disease: why we should care and what we can do.
    Ramirez JL, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  38. Intraoperative identification and treatment of a giant right coronary artery aneurysm.
    Ramirez J, Wieselthaler G, Kratz J| | PubMed
  39. Depression severity is associated with increased inflammation in veterans with peripheral artery disease.
    Hernandez NV, Ramirez JL, Khetani SA, Spaulding KA, Gasper WJ, Hiramoto J, Lindqvist D, Wolkowitz OM, Hills NK, Grenon SM, Zahner GJ| | PubMed
  40. Review of biologic and behavioral risk factors linking depression and peripheral artery disease.
    Ramirez JL, Drudi LM, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  41. Frailty Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Stable Claudication.
    Schaller MS, Ramirez JL, Gasper WJ, Zahner GJ, Hills NK, Grenon SM| | PubMed
  42. Characterizing the relationship between flow-mediated vasodilation and radial artery tonometry in peripheral artery disease.
    Zahner GJ, Spaulding KA, Ramirez JL, Schaller MS, Walker SC, Hills NK, Gasper WJ, Grenon SM| | PubMed