Directors

George Matalanis - VIC

A/Prof George Matalanis is an experienced Melbourne based Cardiothoracic Surgeon who performs coronary artery bypass graft surgery, heart valve repairs and replacements, and other cardiac and thoracic surgical operations. A/Prof George Matalanis is renowned for his pioneering work in aortic arch surgery without circulatory arrest. He has been the Director of the Cardiac Surgery Unit at Austin Health which is one of Victoria's largest health care providers and he is internationally respected for this work. A/Prof Matalanis specialises in coronary bypass graft surgery, cardiac valve surgery, aortic surgery, advanced aortic and mitral valve repair, minimally invasive mitral valve, tricuspid valve and ASD surgery and all aspects of acute and chronic thoracic aortic disease including both open and stent graft repairs. A/Prof Matalanis developed a thoracic aortic stent grafting program, and was heavily involved in implementing a total arterial revascularisation program.

Dr Joseph Coselli - United States

Joseph S. Coselli was the 96th president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). He is a Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Surgery and the Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Joseph S. Coselli specializes in the clinical evaluation and surgical treatment of diseases of the aorta, including the aortic valve and root, ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending thoracic aorta, and thoracoabdominal aorta. Dr. Coselli is an innovator and a leader in his field, and he is highly experienced in complex aortic repair, such as repair performed in patients with connective tissue disorders (such as Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndromes), as well as emergent repair performed in patients with conditions such as acute aortic dissection or aortic rupture. Dr. Coselli has investigated methods to reduce postoperative mortality, paralysis, and stroke; his success in improving the process of aortic repair has resulted in better patient outcomes than those achieved in previous eras. He has performed more than 7,500 surgical repairs of the aorta and over 3,300 open repairs of the thoracoabdominal aorta, for which he is the world’s most experienced surgeon. By routinely presenting informative academic lectures throughout the world, Dr. Coselli has disseminated the latest approach to surgical repairs of the aortic root (valve-sparing outcomes), aortic arch (Y-graft outcomes), and thoracoabdominal aorta (selecting adjuncts by extent of repair).

Dr Marco Di Eusanio - Italy

Dr Marco Di Eusanio is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery Dept and Director of the Marfan Center at the Lancisi Cardiovascular Center, Ancona, Italy. His main practice and scientific areas include aortic and mitral valve repair, minimally invasive surgery and fast recovery, trans-catheter valve interventions, surgery of the thoracic aorta (open, endo, hybrid), cerebral protection, endocarditis, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy surgery, surgical education. He is author or co-author of >200 publications; he lectures nationally and internationally and hosts at his Center other surgeons to visit and learn minimally invasive techniques. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, practicing sports (tennis and skiing) and listening jazz pianists.

Dr Edward Chen - USA

Edward P. Chen, MD is the division chief for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University. He is a graduate of Stanford University, Duke Medical School, University of California San Francisco General Surgery, Emory Cardiothoracic Residency and the UT Houston Aortic Surgery Fellowship. He is internationally visible for his clinical expertise in reoperative thoracic aortic procedures, high-risk and complex adult cardiac surgery.

He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and his research has focused cerebral protection for aortic arch reconstruction, aortic root operations and valve-sparing aortic root replacement. He has a PI and co-PI on numerous clinical trials focused on thoracic aortic surgery and structural heart disease. He has won awards for both his research and commitment to teaching including the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association (TSRA) Socrates Award in 2019, European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS) at Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Research Award 4 times in 2017, 2018, 2020 ad 2021 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Aortic Symposium 2018 Griepp Research Award and Outstanding Teacher in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Dr Chen has held several leadership positions in both the STS and AATS including AATS Advisory Council on Education, AATS Aortic Symposium Program Committee, Co-Chair of the AATS Online Committee, Chair of ATS Foundation Travel Award Committee, STS Annual Meeting Program Planning Task Force, Board of Directors of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation, and Co-Chair of the STS Aortic Surgery Database Task Force. He is also on the AHA/ACC Aortic Guidelines Writing Committee, the AATS Education Committee, AATS Foundation Advisory Council, and the AATS 2023 Summit Program Chair.

Prof John Elefteriades - USA

Prof. John Elefteriades is the William W.L. Glenn Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Yale University and Yale New-Haven Hospital. He is among the most clinically active academic surgeons in the country. He performs all aspects of adult cardiac and thoracic surgery. He is a recognised authority in interventions for the failing left ventricle, including coronary artery bypass grafting, left ventricular aneurysmectomy and artificial heart implantation. His extensive research has contributed substantially to the level of knowledge regarding aortic aneurysms, particularly in the areas of timing for intervention, genetic aetiology and follow up family screening.

Prof Tilo Kölbel - Germany

Tilo Kölbel is professor of vascular surgery at the University of Hamburg, Germany. He is board certified in Germany, Sweden and Denmark as specialist in general surgery and vascular surgery. Tilo is a member of the German Society of Vascular Surgery, North German Society of Surgery, European Society of Vascular Surgery, The International Society of Vascular Surgery and International Society of Endovascular Specialists. Tilo is reviewer for major North American, European and Asian vascular and interventional radiological journals and is an editorial board member of the Journal of Endovascular Therapy. He trained as a general surgeon in Berlin, worked as a fellow and later staff member in vascular surgery and interventional radiology from 2004-2009 at Malmö University Hospital in Sweden. Tilo has established endovascular therapies in the department of Vascular Medicine with Professor Sebastian Debus at the University Heart Center Hamburg since 2009 and has been head of the German Aortic Center since 2012. Today his main clinical and scientific interest lays in aortic disease with a focus on complex endovascular techniques, aortic dissection, aortic arch interventions and development of new endovascular treatment strategies and devices.

Prof Martin Misfeld - Germany

Prof Aung Oo - United Kingdom

Professor Aung Oo qualified in 1988, and has over 30 years of clinical experience. He has over 19 years of practice as a consultant cardiac surgeon. His area of practice includes the whole range of cardiac surgery including beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery, minimal access aortic valve replacement, mitral valve surgery and complex redo cardiac surgery. Professor Oo has subspecialised in complex aortic surgery performs all aortic surgery, from native valve sparing aortic root replacement, Bentall composite aortic root replacement, aortic arch surgery, descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair for chronic aortic dissection and Marfan syndrome. He is an international expert in the field of complex aortic surgery, serves on the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS) Taskforce for Thoracic Aortic forum, Founder chair of United Kingdom Aortic Surgery (UKAS) and Director of Barts Aortovascular Symposium. He holds an honorary clinical professor affiliation with William Harvey Heart Research Institute of Queen Mary University of London and his research interest includes organ protection in complex aortic surgery, spinal cord protection and biomarkers in thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery.

Prof Suk-Won Song - Korea

Prof Nikolaos Tsilimparis - Germany

Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Tsilimparis currently works as Head of the Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in the Ludwigs Maximilian University Hospital in Munch Germany.Born in Greece in 1979, Nikolaos Tsilimparis graduated from the University of Thessaloniki medical school, before continuing his training in Germany, where he completed his thesis in the University of Berlin and received his German Board of General Surgery degree. Following a fellowship in the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, he received his PhD from the University of Hamburg and the Certification of the German Board of Vascular Surgery while becoming fellow of the European board of Vascular surgery and the American College of Surgeons.Nikolaos Tsilimparis specializes in complex endovascular aortic surgery and especially fenestrated and branched endografts from the aortic arch to the iliacs, as well as open aortic repair and surgery of the supra-aortic vessels.Scientific projects include clinical research and evaluation of innovative endovascular techniques, involvement in the Global Burden of Disease consortium as well as vascular focused evaluation of national and international databases.Prof. Tsilimparis is author of more than 170 scientific papers and book chapters and leads the Vascular Surgery clinical research Program in the University of Munich.

Dr Bo Yang - USA

Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Bo Yang, MD, Ph.D., joined the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Michigan in July 2011 after completing his Cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Stanford University. His clinical expertise spans the range of complex aortic surgical procedures to treat aortic pathology from aortic root to the femoral arteries (including open and TEVAR) and adult cardiac procedures, for patients with aortic aneurysm and dissections, such as bicuspid aortic valve, Marfan’s syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, familial thoracic aortic aneurysm. These include valve sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure), Bentall procedures, repair of aortic dissections, thoracic aortic aneurysms, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms through open and endovascular procedures, aortic valve repair and other adult cardiac procedures including mitral valve repair and replacement, coronary artery revascularization and resection of cardiac tumors.

Dr. Yang has been very productive in basic science research and clinical research. He and his team use patient’s induced pleuripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model the thoracic aortic aneurysm and study the mechanism of aortic aneurysm in bicuspid aortic valve and in patients with known mutations, such as Loyes-Dietz syndrome, Marfan syndrome, in order to develop novel therapies to prevent aortic aneurysm. Clinically, He and his team work have focused outcome research of aortic surgery and adult cardiac surgery, including acute aortic dissection, aortic root repair, aortic arch repair, thoraco or thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair. Please see the research section for more details.