Connective Issues Spring 2022

THREE LEADING RESEARCHERS ADDED TO SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

The Marfan Foundation is proud to announce the appointment of three leading researchers to its Scienti fi c Advisory Board (SAB): Suneel Apte, MBBS, DPhil, Cleveland Clinic; Daniel Rifkin, PhD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; and David W. Dempster, PhD, Columbia University (NY). The Scienti fi c Advisory Board is responsible for monitoring, assessing, and evaluating the e ff ectiveness of the Foundation's research program. “We are delighted to have distinguished scientists like Drs. Apte, Dempster, and Rifkin join the talented team on the SAB,” stated SAB chair Craig T. Basson, MD, PhD. “They bring unique expertise in eye, bone, and connective tissue biology to bear on the Foundation’s e ff orts to improve the lives of individuals with Marfan and related conditions.”

p Suneel Apte, MBBS, DPhil

p David W. Dempster PhD

The Foundation would also like to express gratitude to the outgoing board members, B. Timothy Baxter, MD, University of Nebraska and John A. Elefteriades, MD, Yale University, for their many years of service and invaluable contributions. The complete list of Scienti fi c Advisory Board members can be found on our website.

p Daniel Rifkin, PhD

an inspirational and complicated journey from Nigeria to the United States so Marie Curie could undergo life saving surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where Dr. Braverman is the director of the Marfan Syndrome Clinic and Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease. Lifetime Achievement Award Dr. Kouchoukos, the evening’s honoree, had a vast career that spanned 40 years at Washington University School of Medicine, Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, and Missouri Baptist Hospital. During that time, he performed

The Foundation was thrilled to be back in St. Louis in March for the 13 th Annual HeartWorks St. Louis gala. Thanks to the tremendous work of hosts Dr. Alan and

more than 13,000 cardiac and major vascular procedures and advocated for training the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons. One of Dr. Kouchoukos’ greatest achievements was the development of the modi fi ed Bentall procedure, which uses a composite aortic graft to replace the ascending aorta and aortic valve, changing the landscape of aortic surgery. He is also a co-author of the most recent editions of Cardiac Surgery , a

Rebecca Braverman and the gala committee, this year’s HeartWorks St. Louis was the most successful to date, raising a record $461,000 for the Foundation’s programs and services. For the fi fth year, the Centene Corporation, through the Centene Charitable Foundation, was the event's major supporter. More than 300 people from the local medical and business community, as well as members of the Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, and

p Heartworks honoree Dr. Nicholas Kouchoukos with his wife, Judith, and event hosts, Dr. Alan and Rebecca Braverman.

textbook on adult and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery that is widely used in cardiovascular surgical centers around the world. To view all upcoming events, visit the calendar at Marfan.org.

VEDS communities, were in attendance as we honored Dr. Nicholas T. Kouchoukos with the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. They also watched the incredible story of Samuel and Harriet Uzoechi and their daughter, Marie Curie, who has Marfan syndrome. The family had

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