Dr. Rosemary Kelly Welcomed as Second Dr. Philip E. Oyer Visiting Professor

by Lynn U. Nichols
February 13, 2026

The Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery welcomed Rosemary Kelly, MD, as the second Dr. P hilip E. Oyer Visiting Professor to Stanford on January 14, 2026. During her visit, she shared the latest insights on biotechnological advances in coronary revascularization.

Dr. Kelly is the Vice-Chair for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Minnesota Cardiothoracic Surgery Division. She is also Chief of the Heart and Vascular Service Line for M Health Fairview in Minnesota. She completed her residency training at the University of Chicago and her cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Oyer is a world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon and Professor Emeritus of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford Medicine. The visiting professorship, named in his honor, recognizes his pioneering achievements in cardiac surgery, heart failure, heart-assist devices, transplantation and innovative surgical approaches for complex heart conditions.

“Dr. Kelly embodies the same spirit of excellence as Dr. Oyer, having achieved success across all three pillars of academic medicine. She is an acclaimed NIH-funded surgeon-scientist and has been highlighted as a top doctor in the Twin Cities for the past 15 years. I have the pleasure of serving with her on the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Board, where she is Secretary and the glue that holds the organization together,” said Joseph Woo, MD, Chair and Norman E. Shumway Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in his opening remarks.

At the event, Dr. Kelly delivered an engaging lecture titled "From Grafts to Growth: Biotechnological Advances in Coronary Revascularization." She discussed the 66-year history of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), which led her to a surprising observation: despite innovations over the years, no adjunctive therapy has been developed for CABG and while CABG has improved survivability, functional recovery is often mixed. She explained that while CABG is better than multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or medical therapy, it does not reach maximum recovery, especially with challenging diagnoses like ischemic cardiomyopathy.

“Dr. Kelly's talk offered an important perspective for centers, like Stanford, focused on leadership and innovations in coronary revascularization. It was insightful to hear her viewpoint,” said Jack Boyd, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Section Head of the Coronary and Valvular Section at Stanford Medicine.

Dr. Kelly’s research focuses on adjunctive regenerative therapies to enhance recovery after CABG surgery. In her presentation, she also noted research innovations at the University of Minnesota in bioengineered conduit development, including clinical trials on tissue-engineered scaffolds that are implanted and then replaced with a patient’s own cells, and human trials of acellular tissue-engineered vessels (ATEV).

She named complete recovery of viable myocardium as the holy grail, discussing the potential of cell-based therapies and stem cell patches as promising solutions. She shared recent discoveries from animal studies on cellular changes in hibernating myocardium and discussed ways to translate these and other innovations to patient care.

“All of these discoveries make me hopeful that we can actually do something that can impact our patients beyond revascularization,” Dr. Kelly said. She noted that exosomes, stem cell therapy, and gene therapy have the potential to improve mitochondrial health, reduce inflammation, and enhance heart function, and may someday be delivered at the time of surgery.

The lecture was hosted at the James H. Clark Center and attended by more than 65 faculty, fellows, residents, and students.

About Dr. Philip E. Oyer

World-renowned for his technical expertise in clinical cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Oyer’s accomplishments include developing an artificial heart assist device, research on heart and heart-lung transplantation, and innovative approaches to complex surgeries. Dr. Oyer has led a successful career in the operating room, helping patients receive specialized treatments for aortic diseases, heart valve conditions, and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

In the 1970s, Dr. Oyer, in partnership with Peer Portner, PhD, began researching mechanical pumps that would successfully support failing hearts. Dr. Oyer would eventually make history in 1984, co-developing and implanting the first mechanical ventricular assist device as a bridge to heart transplantation. In the same year, Dr. Oyer, with Dr. Norman E. Shumway's surgery team, successfully performed breakthrough pediatric heart transplants. Dr. Oyer has published over 260 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including research on implantable heart-assist devices, heart and heart-lung transplantation, and valve replacement.

After receiving his medical degree in 1969 and a doctorate in biochemistry in 1970 from the University of Chicago, Dr. Oyer came to Stanford and completed his residencies in cardiovascular surgery and general surgery. He became a faculty member in the department in 1976, later serving as the associate chair in 2003 and as interim department chair from 2012 to 2013.