Cardiothoracic surgeon Joseph Woo takes over as new AATS president
Joseph Woo, MD, FACS, FACC, FAHA, recently took over as the new 2026-2027 president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).
“The AATS has a proud tradition of advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery with clinical excellence and bold innovation. My priority will be to champion that vision of the AATS through scholarly discovery, and to ensure they remain at the forefront and inspire the next generation of leaders,” Woo said in a statement.
He is the Norman E. Shumway Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, and associate director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Bioengineering at the Stanford School of Engineering. Woo is a nationally recognized surgeon, innovator, researcher and educator in cardiothoracic surgery, AATS said.
Woo trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania. He performs more than 300 pump cases each year, focusing on complex mitral and aortic valve repair, thoracic aortic surgery, cardiopulmonary transplantation and adult congenital heart surgery. He is credited with advancing these fields by developing several innovative operations.
He currently serves as principal investigator on two National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants, and he has held continuous NIH funding since 2004. This research includes basic science research lab studies of stem cells, angiogenesis, tissue engineering, and valvular biomechanics. Woo also has served as the principal investigator for several clinical device trials and translational trials for stem cell therapy during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and LVAD implantation. He has co-authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications.
Leonard N. Girardi, MD, was also named as the AATS president-elect, who will take over the organization's leadership in 2027. He is the O. Wayne Isom Professor and Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He also is cardiothoracic surgeon-in-chief at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and oversees all cardiothoracic surgical services at the hospital’s main campus and New York Presbyterian regional hospitals in Queens and Brooklyn.
The AATS is an international cardiothoracic surgery organization founded in 1917. Today the group has more than 1,500 members.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: [email protected]