Stanford Showcases Innovation and Leadership in Clinical Care and Research at AATS 105th Annual Meeting
by Roxanna Van Norman
May 14, 2025
The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was prominently featured at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), held in Seattle, Washington, from May 2 to 5, 2025.
The five-day conference brought together leading experts in adult cardiac, general thoracic, congenital, and transplant surgery to exchange ideas, present new research, and showcase innovations shaping the future of the field. This year’s event had a record-setting number of more than 2,000 abstracts and case video submissions, with significant increases in submissions for thoracic and adult cardiac programs.
One of this year’s notable “Legends Luncheons” featured Frank Hanley, MD, Executive Director of the Children’s Heart Center at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and Lawrence Crowley, MD, Endowed Professor in Child Health in the Division of Pediatric Heart Surgery at Stanford. Dr. Hanley reflected on innovation, mentorship, and the evolution of pediatric heart surgery. (View Daily News Coverage - Pg 7)
The department also celebrated the election of three faculty members to AATS membership:
● Michael Ma, MD, Associate Professor and Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
● Natalie Lui, MD, Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Thoracic Surgery)
● Yasuhiro Shudo, MD, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor (Adult Cardiac Surgery)
Joseph Woo, MD, the Norman E. Shumway Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, currently serves on the AATS Board of Directors and held the role of Vice President for the 2025-2025 term. He will serve as President-elect of AATS for the 2025–2026 term and is set to become the Association’s 107th President for 2026–2027.
AATS is one of the world's foremost associations for cardiothoracic surgeons that supports, promotes, and stimulates preeminent clinical care and scientific investigation in cardiothoracic surgery. The meeting included several abstract submissions and poster presentations from the department.
Presentations from the Department
Event Photos
Photos courtesy of Mark Berry, Carolyn Chang, Aravind Krishnan, Natalie Lui, and Gabriel Weininger.
