PHILADELPHIA – Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, the Brooke Roberts – William Maul Measey Professor in Surgery and director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgery Program in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been elected 2016 President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).
Founded in 1964, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' mission is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. The STS represents more than 7,100 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest.
“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest cardiothoracic surgeons who have led our specialty and look forward to my tenure as STS President,” Bavaria said. “I hope to spend my year as President focusing on expanding the STS National Database to include more cardiothoracic surgery procedures, and I also plan to execute educational opportunities globally.”
An STS member since 1996, Dr. Bavaria most recently served as the organization’s First Vice President. He also participated on the Operating Board of the Society’s Council on Health Policy and Relationships. Previously, he served as Chair of the STS Workforce on New Technology. Dr. Bavaria’s clinical interests involve complex aortic diseases and cardiac valve surgery. He has also published extensively on issues regarding thoracic aortic surgery and circulation management for complex thoracic aortic reconstruction.
Dr. Bavaria is a graduate of Tulane University where he received both a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and a Medical Degree. He also participated in the Honors Chemical Engineering Exchange Program at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Dr. Bavaria completed his surgical internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), where he also served as Chief Resident of Surgery before completing additional residencies in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at HUP and at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.