Dr. Richard Cheng is a cardiologist who specializes in the comprehensive care of patients with heart failure. Having trained in both advanced heart failure and interventional cardiology, his approach combines medical therapy optimization with minimally invasive surgeries and novel devices that can improve heart function. As both a heart transplant and interventional cardiologist, he also specializes in supporting patients in cardiogenic shock – a type of shock that may occur when the heart can't pump well enough to meet the body's needs – with temporary circulatory pumps as a bridge to recovery or heart transplantation.

Cheng's research is focused on how to rescue patients in cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest and on optimizing the performance of minimally invasive repair of leaky heart valves. His research interests include temporary mechanical circulatory support, stents and stent-valves (tiny tubes that can be placed surgically to keep blood vessels open) in patients with heart failure, minimally invasive mitral and tricuspid valve repair, and coronary artery disease after heart transplantation.

After earning his medical degree at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Cheng completed residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He completed fellowships in cardiology, interventional cardiology, and advanced heart failure and transplant at Cedars-Sinai.

Cheng belongs to the American College of Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and American Heart Association.