Elevating Innovation in Cardiothoracic Surgery: Insights from Dr. Joon Bum Kim's Translational Surgeon Scientist Visiting Professor Lecture

by Mary Sheridan Bilbao, PA-C, MPAS
April 1, 2024

The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was excited to host the 5^th Translational Surgeon Scientist Visiting Professor Lecture by Joon Bum Kim, MD, PhD, Professor and Chief of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Director of the Aortic Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea.

Dr. Kim shared groundbreaking insights in his talk titled, "New Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement." His lecture drew from his work and interests in developing novel operations and innovative cardiac devices that facilitate thoracic aortic surgical and aortic root reconstruction procedures.

Dr. Kim is a world-renowned aortic surgeon and widely published researcher, authoring over three hundred peer-reviewed studies. He has led his department to international prominence as the highest volume program in South Korea, with his cardiac operations totaling over 2,500 cases annually. He also oversees the training of other leading surgeons throughout Asia. 

His talk inspired the department’s cardiac surgeons, fellows, and residents who attended the event and shared their sentiment of privilege and gratitude for their research collaboration with Dr. Kim. He spent time at Stanford as part of his sabbatical, studying the biomechanics of medical devices and collaborating with department researchers.

"It's been a true privilege to have a surgeon-scientist of Dr. Kim's stature join our research team for the past year. The opportunity to work with, learn from, and operate side by side with faculty like Dr. Kim are what make our department, and Stanford as a whole, an epicenter for the translation of innovative ideas,” said Stefan Elde, MD, cardiothoracic surgery resident.

Dr. Kim maintains numerous memberships in Cardiovascular and Cardiothoracic surgery in Asia, Europe, and The United States. He also serves on the Editorial Board of several prominent journals, including the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Along with his professional memberships, Dr. Kim has received various awards, including the Institutional Achievement Award from Asan Medical Center (2006), Professor of the Year in Research, University of Ulsan College of Medicine (2014), and 100 Next Generation Leaders in Korea (2020). He was also awarded the Asan Medical Award in 2016, the most prestigious medical award given in Korea. He has held numerous fellowships, most notably as the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Evart Graham Traveling Fellow at MGH, Harvard Medical School, the Cleveland Clinic, and Herman Memorial Hospital at the University of Texas.