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Scientific Affairs and Government Relations (SAGR) Committee

The Scientific Affairs and Government Relations Committee has spent years cultivating relationships with the NIH and other government organizations in order to increase understanding, awareness and collaboration between the AATS and these governmental agencies.

The result of these positive relationships has included increased grant dollars for cardiothoracic surgeons, increased participation of surgeons in study groups and increase involvement of surgeon leaders in the processes of these agencies.

Government agencies with Committee interactions:

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National Institutes of Health

A part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is the largest biomedical research agency in the world.

NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

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National Cancer Institute

As the leader of the cancer research enterprise, collectively known as the National Cancer Program, and the largest funder of cancer research in the world, NCI manages a broad range of research, training, and information dissemination activities that reach across the entire country, meeting the needs of all demographics—rich and poor, urban and rural, and all racial/ethnic populations.

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National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides global leadership for a research, training, and education program to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, and blood disorders and enhance the health of all individuals so that they can live longer and more fulfilling lives.

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Serves as the Association's primary contact with government agencies

  • Identifies and interacts with Federal Agencies and Institutions regarding research actvities, research funding, and career development support for cardiothoracic surgeons;
  • Serves as a resource to cardiothoracic surgeons on research funding strategies, opportunities, and mechanisms available to the specialty;
  • Provides a vehicle for research and development of new technologies through collaboration with industry and/or federal agencies;
  • Discusses and develops a pathway for involvement of cardiothoracic surgeons in collaborative initiatives such as clinical trails networks.

Committee Members

Chair

Peter J. Gruber, MD

Director

Bryan M. Burt, MD

Member

Prasad Adusumilli, MD

Member

Pavan Atluri, MD

Member

Matthew J. Bott, MD

Member

Bryan M. Burt, MD

Member

Danny Chu, MD

Member

Yolonda L. Colson, MD

Member

Todd L. Demmy, MD

Member

David H. Harpole, MD

Member

William Hiesinger, MD

Member

David Kalfa, MD

Member

Jennifer S. Lawton, MD

Member

Michael Ma, MD

Member

Robert Taylor Ripley, MD

Member

Elaine E. Tseng, MD

Member

Chi-Fu Yang, MD