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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PENN Medicine is a $2.7 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn’s School of Medicine is ranked #3 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #4 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

Penn Health System is comprised of: its flagship hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, consistently rated one of the nation’s “Honor Roll” hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; Presbyterian Medical Center; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home health care and hospice.

This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/mar05/Bavariaprof.htm