Janani Reisenauer

Janani Reisenauer, M.D., is the Division Chair of Thoracic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She has been with Mayo Clinic since finishing her fellowship at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in 2018.

Dr. Reisenauer was the world’s first dual fellowship trained and board-certified interventional pulmonologist and thoracic surgeon and remains one of very few people to achieve both certifications.

She earned both her bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama and she completed her residency and both fellowships at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, Minnesota.

Dr. Reisenauer and her team specialize in robotic bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive technique that allows her to detect lung cancers with more accuracy than traditional bronchoscopy. Earlier detection allows people to begin treatment sooner and leads to better results. She is currently involved in clinical trials that deliver breakthrough cancer treatment through the bronchoscope or with surgery within minutes of diagnosis. If successful, these techniques could help people receive life-saving care sooner than ever.

Dr. Reisenauer is passionate about making care easier and more accessible for everyone. She hopes to help those in under-resourced communities through telehealth, collaborating with physicians, and using more efficient tools like the bronchoscope.

Dr. Reisenauer’s drive to innovate extends beyond the surgical suite. As Director of the Innovation Center for the Department of Surgery at Mayo Clinic, she leads the annual Beahrs Surgical Innovation Summit, where Mayo Clinic doctors and med­ tech startups work toward advancing the future of surgical care, together.