March 17, 2005

Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, Named the First Brooke Roberts-William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery

(Philadelphia, PA) – Joseph E. Bavaria, MD, Vice Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), and Director of Penn’s Cardiothoracic and Thoracic Aortic Surgery programs, has been named the first incumbent of the Brooke Roberts-William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery.

“It is my honor to be the first physician named as the recipient of this Professorship,” says Bavaria. “I hope to mirror the care, compassion and professionalism for which Dr. Roberts was known, and to reach the level of excellence he achieved in research, teaching and patient care.”

“Dr. Roberts was one of the pioneering vascular surgeons in this region and someone who Dr. Bavaria greatly admired, so it is fitting that Joe Bavaria be the first incumbent of this endowed chair,” adds Larry R. Kaiser, MD, John Rhea Barton Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery. “He has an outstanding academic and clinical record since coming to Penn as an intern in 1983.”

Bavaria received his medical degree from Tulane University in 1983. He then went on to complete residencies in surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at HUP and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His special interests include thoracic aortic surgery and more broadly, cardio-aortic surgery. This includes aortic dissection, aortic root and ascending aortic reconstruction, aortic arch surgery, and circulation management to ensure successful aortic-arch clinical outcomes. Bavaria played an integral role in the development of Penn’s lung transplant program; and he has achieved a national and international reputation for both himself and Penn with his unprecedented work in thoracic aortic surgery.

Additionally, Bavaria’s clinical interests include thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery and thoracic aortic stent grafting. He leads an active cardio-aortic clinical research group and is both the national and institutional primary investigator for over 15 industry-sponsored, FDA, and IDE Phase I, II and III trials. He is also a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Bavaria currently serves as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Thoracic Surgery.

The Brooke Roberts-William Maul Measey Professorship was established in 2004 through the generosity of the Measy Foundation as well as Dr. Roberts’ family and friends. Dr. Roberts, a former chief of vascular surgery at Penn, epitomized excellence in research, teaching and patient care.

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