Remembering Dr. John Foker
It is with a heavy heart that we share with you the news that one of our long-time faculty members, Professor John Foker, MD, PhD, passed away the morning of April 23rd. Dr. Foker was the Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Program at the University of Minnesota for over two decades - a program that traces its origin to the birth of open-heart surgery. His long and illustrious career includes many significant contributions to pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, including:
- Development of a new technique for esophageal atresia (referred to as the Foker procedure)
- Techniques to repair complex congenital heart defects in infancy, including a revolutionary treatment of Pulmonary Atresia Intact Ventricular Septum
Dr. Foker attended Harvard University as an undergraduate and medical student. He subsequently completed his PhD in Microbiology/Biochemistry and general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery training at the University of Minnesota. He then joined the University of Minnesota's Department of Surgery and worked there for his entire career. During this time, he was Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program from 1986-2007 and served as the Robert and Sharon Kaster Professor of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Dr. Foker was a remarkable researcher who focused on post-ischemic myocardial recovery and the development of new prosthetic heart valves. Notably, he was awarded several patents for his work on methods for recovery from ischemia and founded a company to bring this treatment to hospitals and patients. His research projects received many years of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association. Dr. Foker spent five years working for the NIH himself, as a grant reviewer for the Surgery, Anesthesia, and Trauma Study Section. During this period, he mentored and taught scores of cardiothoracic surgeons in the art of pediatric cardiac surgery, helping launch their own research careers. He was also a founding member of the prestigious AATS Biology Club and an expert consulting witness for medical-based legal cases.
Throughout Dr. Foker's distinguished career, he had over 100 publications and book chapters (some featuring his own hand-drawn illustrations!). Additionally, he was invited to visiting professorships at several esteemed centers, including Harvard Medical School, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and Gdansk Children's Hospital in Poland. Dr. Foker traveled the world, speaking about, performing, and teaching his pioneering surgical techniques to help as many children as he possibly could. At one point, he and another surgeon were alternating as having performed open heart surgery on the smallest baby ever - they went back and forth breaking the world record. This work did not go unnoticed - in fact, he was invited to meet Pope John Paul II in recognition of his work helping children.
A Vietnam veteran (Air Force Captain), Dr. Foker was also a college basketball and football player who was recruited by the NFL, but chose to focus on a medical career instead. Friends will remember him as an amateur geologist, art aficionado, and bulldog wrangler. He considered himself a farmer at heart, and delighted in sharing his home-grown corn and tomatoes with University colleagues every summer.
We celebrate his incredible legacy and remember his many contributions to our field. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends, and the larger community.
Sayeed Ikramuddin, MD, MHA
Ranjit John, MD
