Marc R. Moon Assumes Presidency of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Marc R. Moon, MD, became the 101st President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). He officially succeeded Vaughn A. Starnes, MD, in a presentation during the virtual AATS 100th Annual Meeting – a first for the Association.

Dr. Moon most recently served one year as AATS President-Elect and one year as Vice President. He is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery and the John M. Shoenberg Professor of Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he received his medical degree from Wayne State University. He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, which included a one-year period of training in vascular surgery at Oxford University in England, and two years in the cardiovascular physiology laboratory at Stanford. He completed his cardiothoracic surgery training at Stanford in 1998.

Dr. Moon has been an active member of the AATS, the oldest and most prestigious organization dedicated to cardiothoracic surgery, since 2003. He has served on numerous AATS committees, including the Finance Committee, Foundation Board, Publications Committee, Chair of the Centennial Committee, and served as AATS Secretary from 2013-2018.

Joining him in new positions on the Executive Committee are Yolonda L. Colson, MD, who is now Vice President – and in line to become the Association’s first female President – and Anelechi Anyanwu, MD, who is now serving as a Director on the Board. Emile A. Bacha, MD, remains Treasurer and David R. Jones, MD, remains Secretary.

Dr. Yolonda L. Colson is the Chief for the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Hermes C. Grillo Professor in the Field of Thoracic Surgery, and Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. In addition to her cardiothoracic surgical training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, her academic training includes a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an MD from Mayo Medical School, and a PhD and general surgery residency at University of Pittsburgh.

She was Co-chair of the 2015 AATS Annual Meeting and has served on numerous AATS committees, including the Membership Committee, Scientific Affairs and Government Relations Committee, AATS Foundation Board of Directors, and currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Council for the AATS Foundation.

Dr. Colson has a specific clinical interest in improving the identification and treatment of lung cancer, increasing access to curative therapies, extending the chance of cure through novel technologies and broadening our understanding of the unique differences of lung cancer in women. She is co-inventor on three awarded patents and has received over twenty foundation grants, including the AATS Alton Ochsner Research Scholarship, and seven R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. Her research focuses on the development of unique mechanisms of polymer and nanoparticle drug delivery aimed at preventing cancer recurrence, and the investigation of novel methods to identify hidden tumor that has spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Anelechi Anyanwu, MD, is Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Anyanwu trained in cardiothoracic surgery at the Harefield Hospital, London, United Kingdom and affiliated hospitals in the University of London Network. He joined the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2004 as a Senior Clinical Fellow. Under the close instruction of Dr. David Adams, Dr. Anyanwu was trained intensively in the entire spectrum of techniques for mitral valve repair, and is one of only a handful of surgeons in the United States to received formal training in mitral valve repair to a proficient and advanced level.

Dr. Anyanwu has served on multiple AATS committees, including Annual Meeting Abstract Committee; Mitral Conclave Program Committee; Chair, Membership Recruitment, Engagement, and Diversity Committee; and the Education Committee.