Faces of Cedars-Sinai Dr Peng-Sheng Chen Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Dr Peng-Sheng Chen Jul 20, 2021 Agata Smieciuszewski Share Tweet Post Meet Dr. Peng-Sheng Chen, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai! When Dr. Chen, the Burns and Allen Chair in Cardiology Research, was making the move to Los Angeles from San Diego in 1992, he was glad to see an opening for a faculty position at Cedars-Sinai. We talked to Dr. Chen about his journey from Taiwan to Cedars-Sinai and his career in electrophysiology. What is electrophysiology and what got you interested in pursuing it as a career Dr. Peng-Sheng Chen: My field of study is cardiac arrhythmia, so heart rhythm disorders. In medical school, we were fortunate to be able to be the first in doing a surgery to cure an arrythmia called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. It was very exciting to be able to treat and cure the arrythmia. In Discoveries: Heart Rhythm Revelations What is the most exciting or surprising part of what you do PSC: Between 1992 and 2007, when I was here for 15 years, the entire field of heart rhythm care had undergone a major revolution, which included—most importantly—the development of radiofrequency tools to cure arrythmia with catheters. We were part of that revolution and significantly expanded the service to patients. It was also very exciting when the defibrillator that can be implanted under the skin was developed, which meant we don't need a surgery to crack open the chest to implant those devices. It's very exciting that almost any of the arrythmias suddenly became curable! "People interested in medicine have to be interested in people and dealing with people's problems. I felt that I have that kind of interest in communicating and dealing with people's issues." Where did you grow up PSC: I grew up in Taiwan. I moved here after medical school and serving in the military when I was 27. What would you consider the most challenging part of what you do PSC: Balancing taking care of patients, educating students and pursuing medical research. All three of them demand a significant amount of time. Read: Chen, MD, Named to Chair in Cardiology Research What made you interested in pursuing medicine Was that something that you always knew you were going to do PSC: Yes, I knew since I was in high school. People interested in medicine have to be interested in people and dealing with people's problems. I felt that I have that kind of interest in communicating and dealing with people's issues. Is there another profession that you could see yourself doing if you hadn t gone down the medical path PSC: I did think seriously about being an engineer—especially electrical engineer. I was fascinated by all the machines involved. But when you practice cardio-electrophysiology, you're surrounded by many gadgets and machines. I think a lot of people in my trade are born engineers. You can see the heart as plumbing and electricity. We are interested in the electrical part of the heart. Which living person do you most admire PSC: I most admire my mentor from when I was in cardiology training. His name is Raymond Ideker. I was in his research lab for two years and not only learned how to do research, but I also learned how to be a person. Read: Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Dr. Dominick Megna What do you consider your greatest achievement PSC: I always enjoy working with young people. I have personally trained a lot of research fellows and clinical fellows, and many of them have become trainers, mentors and professors as well. That's my greatest achievement—the perpetuation of knowledge and skills to the next generation. What do you like to do when you re not at work PSC: My wife and I enjoy hiking. We use our weekends to hike around the beautiful mountains in Southern California, with striking views and great weather. We also enjoy going to Descanso Gardens and the Huntington Library. Southern California has many beautiful things to offer— it truly is a gift to live here. Read: The Cedars-Sinai Specialist Aortic Service and Acute Aortic Dissection Tags Heart Faces of Cedars-Sinai Electrophysiology Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility