Dr. Beckles is double boarded by the American Board of Surgeons and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.  He was the first Herman and Olive Pascarella Professor of Cardiovascular Research and previous Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Associate Professor of Surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn New York.  He is double fellowship trained in cardiac and thoracic surgery. His expertise is in minimally invasive cardiac and thoracic surgery including off-pump CABG, hybrid coronary revascularization, robotic assisted CABG, minimally invasive valve repair and replacement. His thoracic surgery expertise is in minimally invasive lung surgery, VATS lobectomy, VATS pneumonectomy, minimally invasive esophagectomy and VATS/Robotic thymectomy.  He also specializes in heart failure surgery and ventricular assist device implantation. 

Dr. Beckles earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, Master of Science degree in Chemistry, Medical Degree and a PhD Degree in Cardiac Molecular and Cellular Biology at the State University of New York.   He completed his general surgery residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and his cardiovascular and thoracic surgery fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Texas and an additional thoracic surgery fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital- Harvard Medical School. 

Dr. Beckles is a respected clinician and researcher with peer- reviewed publications including articles, book chapters in cardiovascular surgery and cardiac molecular biology along with numerous abstracts and has been awarded U.S. and international patents for his research. Dr. Beckles is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.  He is a member of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, American Thoracic Society, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. He has been awarded numerous excellence awards and was named in Guide to America’s Top Surgeons 2010-2014, Houstonia Magazine Top Doctor 2013 and 2014, H Texas Magazine Top Doctor and New York Super Doctors for cardiac surgery 2016 to 2018.