Meet Our New Physicians
The Heart Institute continues to expand its services, attracting distinguished physicians from near and far. Meet them below and see how their expertise will impact care.
Benjamin (Ben) Mantell, MD, PhD, FAAP: Pediatric Heart Failure, Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Device Program
Ben Mantell, MD, PhD, FAAP, joins the Heart Institute as an attending physician and researcher with our Heart Transplant Program and Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Program. He is now seeing both inpatients and outpatients at our main campus.
Mantell’s passions are caring for patients who have received a heart transplant and studying transplant rejection. His research interests lie in the field of transplant immunology. Most recently, he has been studying novel mechanisms of antibody-mediated rejection and has previously done research on coronary allograft vasculopathy. He’s looking forward to building a research program in the Heart Institute while also caring for patients.
Mantell received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Scientist Training Program, followed by a residency here at Cincinnati Children’s. He completed his categorical pediatric cardiology fellowship and an advanced fellowship in pediatric cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and transplantation, both at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, before staying on as junior faculty there for the past three years.
HEART INSTITUTE: What drew you to Cincinnati Children’s?
MANTELL: I came here initially for my pediatrics residency. I was drawn to return to Cincinnati Children’s as a place that provides the highest level of care for patients, joining a group I was already quite familiar with, as well as the opportunity to perform cutting-edge research. The opportunities and support for faculty involved in research here are unparalleled. I’m very excited to be back in Cincinnati.
Amr Matoq, MD: Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention Program
Amr Matoq, MD, is the newest member of our Cardiac Catheterization and Intervention Program. He performs cardiac catheterizations for our pediatric population as well as for adults with congenital heart disease through our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program. He looks forward to enhancing his skills and experience at Cincinnati Children’s, as well as finding new and innovative ways to improve the care that’s provided for patients with congenital heart disease.
Matoq’s research interests are in improving outcomes for neonatal interventions including device occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants.
Matoq received his MBBCh at Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He completed his residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine — Jacksonville, and a pediatric cardiology fellowship at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. He came to Cincinnati Children’s for his advanced interventional/catheterization fellowship before beginning his post-fellowship career at Nemours Children’s Health.
HEART INSTITUTE: What drew you to Cincinnati Children’s?
MATOQ: Cincinnati Children’s has one of the leading cardiac catheterization labs in the country where we perform complex and advanced procedures to help kids and adults with congenital heart disease. Supported by the Heart Institute’s research infrastructure, we are able to lead and participate in many research studies and trials that aim to improve outcomes for patients with congenital heart disease. Working with such a talented team is what drew me to Cincinnati Children’s.
Shirley Nunlist, MD: Acute Care Cardiology
Shirley Nunlist, MD, is a specialist devoted to frontline patient care in our Acute Care Cardiology Unit. She collaborates closely with our advanced practice provider team and will be participating in Heart Institute educational and clinical conferences throughout the year.
Nunlist received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky and completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond/Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. A native of Cincinnati, she’s thrilled to be returning home to the Queen City.
HEART INSTITUTE: What do you most look forward to in your career here?
NUNLIST: I'm so excited to have the chance to develop this new role as an acute care cardiology hospitalist. In residency, I was torn between cardiology and general hospital medicine. I initially made the choice to stay a generalist because I love taking the big-picture view of all the organ systems and how they impact each other. In this role, I found the perfect opportunity to combine these two passions, managing the varied pathologies and conditions that bring children into the hospital, while focusing on patients with cardiac conditions, with all the specialized management that entails. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to build my knowledge and skills in cardiology working with this amazing team, while also continually developing my generalist knowledge, which I can then contribute to my team.
Clayton “Tony” Smith, Jr., MD: Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
Tony Smith, MD, joins our Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program focusing on care for adolescents and adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD), including family planning and pregnancy, and transition from pediatric to adult care. He also sees both pediatric and adult patients in our Fontan Management Clinic. He has an additional interest in non-invasive imaging in both pediatric and adult congenital patients and will work with the transthoracic echo and cardiac CT/MRI teams.
Smith studies the long-term outcomes of congenital heart disease with particular interest in modifiable factors that can improve those outcomes. He’s also interested in the use of cross-sectional imaging studies to better understand complications in congenital heart disease and for surgical/procedural planning.
Smith received his MD from Indiana University School of Medicine—Indianapolis and completed his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. He completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in adult congenital heart disease and cardiac imaging at the same institution.
HEART INSTITUTE: What do you most look forward to in your career here?
SMITH: I was amazed to learn of the commitment Cincinnati Children’s places on making sure that children with CHD continue to receive the dedicated care they need to continue living long, healthy adult lives. I am most looking forward to contributing to the clinical care of these patients while also participating in research so that we can better understand how to take care of our adults living with congenital heart disease for years to come.
