Dr. Proia joined Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Associates in May 2020, after practicing for 15 years at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.

He has been participating in percutaneous treatments for valvular heart disease, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and mitral clip, since 2017. In addition, Dr. Proia has extensive experience in minimally invasive pulmonary surgery.

Dr. Proia grew up in Rochester, NY, and attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his undergraduate degree in physics in 1992. He went on to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City for medical school, finishing in 1997. Subsequently, he completed his general surgery training at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, followed by a return to New York City for his cardiothoracic fellowship. He completed cardiac surgical training at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and non-cardiac thoracic training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.