Experimental Surgical Services Laboratory Leadership Appointment

I am pleased to share some exciting news regarding the leadership of our esteemed Experimental Surgical Services (ESS) Laboratory. First, please join me in thanking Professor Richard Bianco for 40 years of service as Director of ESS. It is a testament to Professor Bianco's initiative and expertise that ESS stands today as a premier pre-clinical research center.  

ESS's inception was inspired by Professor Bianco's desire to form a core resource with a source of revenue not dependent on philanthropy, which he was uniquely able to do by acquiring half of the funding from industries and the other half from the public sector. And as with anything built to last, evolution has remained at the core of ESS. Professor Bianco has always been interested in the safety of new medical devices, particularly heart valves, and his passion for better patient outcomes and ability to adapt throughout the years has put ESS in a league of their own.

Professor Bianco's impact in the field is far-reaching, and his legacy of pushing the boundaries of what is possible and advancing health will continue under new leadership. That said, please join me in congratulating John P. Carney, PhD, MBA, on his new role as Assistant Professor and Director of ESS. 

Dr. Carney has over 15 years of experience in the field of translational preclinical research and is passionate about advancing benchtop discovery to the patient's bedside through translational research studies. Focused on improving quality of life and outcomes for patients with complex diseases, he works to accelerate medical innovation by developing and fostering collaboration between the ESS laboratory, University and industry investigators, and the University of Minnesota's resources.  

With Professor Bianco's mentorship and succession planning, Dr. Carney is impeccably matched for this role, and we have the utmost confidence that ESS will continue to advance patient care and stand at the forefront of medical research under Dr. Carney's leadership. 

Thank you for your partnership and dedication to our department's success. We look forward to all that we will accomplish together in this new era of ESS leadership. 

Sincerely,

Sayeed Ikramuddin, MD, MHA
Chair, Department of Surgery
Jay Phillips Professor