Dr. Kiaii – Recipient of the Ray and Margaret Elliott Chair in Surgical Innovation

In 2011, Ray and Margaret Elliott made a $1.5 million donation to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Their generous gift was matched by Western University, establishing a new endowed Chair in Surgical Innovation. Named in honour of their support, the Chair will position the Department of Surgery at the forefront of surgical care, education and research. With the chair in place, the national search was on for that one person who could take surgical innovation to the next level.

One name stood out - Dr. Bob Kiaii, MD'92.

With an extensive record of global, North American and Canadian surgical firsts, and international acclaim as clinician and researcher in minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Kiaii was unquestionably the right candidate. When you consider his extensive training, dedicated commitment to education and research publication rate in addition to the fact that he has performed the largest series of simultaneous integrated coronary artery revascularizations in the world, you can't help but be impressed.

In sharing the news about the Chair, Dr. John Denstedt, MD'70 said of Dr. Kiaii, "he exemplifies all of the qualities that were envisioned in establishing the Chair in Surgical Innovation. He has a tremendous track record in identifying challenges in the operating room and conceptualizing how to address these with new surgical techniques or technologies. He also has an uncanny ability to advance a new procedure or technology from initial concept to prototype development, testing, clinical application, evaluation and finally safe dissemination by way of quality training experiences for other surgeons."

Humbly, Dr. Kiaii views this new role as a privilege. "It is an honour and privilege," said Dr. Kiaii "to be elected as the Raymond and Margaret Elliott Chair in Surgical Innovation."

Currently Dr. Kiaii is an associate professor and serves as Chair/Chief, Division of Cardiology within the Department of Surgery. He also is the Director of the Minimally Invasive Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program at London Health Sciences Centre in London.

As the Ray and Margaret Elliott Chair in Surgical Innovation, Dr. Kiaii will lead a team and advance technology changes in surgery. Additionally, he will contribute to the advancement of simulation and simulation-based training, the Biomedical Devices Institute in London and foster critical relationships with industry. "The opportunity will further enable us to develop and pioneer new innovative surgical procedures that will further enhance the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry as a leader in the field of innovation and centre of excellence for patient care," said Dr. Kiaii.

For their part, the Elliott's wanted to support something that had a strong connection to surgery and also focused on patient quality of life. "Less invasiveness has been a huge part of my professional life, trying to find ways for people to have better outcomes that are less invasive to their bodies" said Elliott, in an interview with Western News, upon announcing the funding of the Chair a few years ago. "Dr. Kiaii is a dedicated physician who is motivated by the quest for better patient care by the introduction of new minimally invasive surgical techniques. His creativity, surgical ability and patience as a teacher have formed the basis for an international reputation in cardiac surgery and as a surgical leader in Canada," said Dr. Denstedt.

Dr. Kiaii begins his new role on July 1, 2013. The Ray and Margaret Elliott Chair is the first of the chairs benefitting from Western University's matching chair program to have an incumbent.