Honouring a giant in heart surgery: the Tirone David Chair in Cardiac Surgery

Jan 8, 2025

Four people standing together — *(left to right) Melanie Munk, Tirone David, Lisa Robinson and Terry Yau at a recent event honouring the creation of the Tirone David Chair in Cardiac Surgery*

The University of Toronto’s division of cardiac surgery has a long and impressive track record of driving improved outcomes for people with a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. Now, bolstered by philanthropic support for a new endowed chair – that will be named for renowned cardiac surgeon Tirone David – the division is poised to have an even greater impact through its strengthened research, education and patient care efforts.

Supporting the next generation of medical professionals

The position will be held by all future heads of U of T’s division of cardiac surgery and will provide lasting and sustaining support to its many clinicians, researchers and trainees who work and train in the university’s partner hospitals and research institutes. Terry Yau, the division’s current head, noted how the chair’s impact will be felt by all cardiac surgeons and trainees in the city.

“Funding from this chair provides an immediate and lasting investment in our people and their game-changing ideas across our entire division,” he says. “This support will allow us to flexibly direct funds to the highest potential areas no matter where they are based in the city of Toronto – improving cardiac care for patients and communities across our city, our country and, ultimately, around the world.”

During a recent event celebrating the chair’s creation, it was announced that the position will be permanently known as the Tirone David Chair in Cardiac Surgery following David’s eventual retirement as a U of T professor of cardiac surgery and a cardiovascular surgeon at UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. The new endowed chair has been made possible with generous support from the Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation, as well as from David himself.

This support will allow us to flexibly direct funds to the highest potential areas no matter where they are based in the city of Toronto – improving cardiac care for patients and communities across our city, our country and, ultimately, around the world.

“Dr. David truly is one of the world’s most respected cardiac surgeons, educators and innovators,” says Lisa Robinson, Temerty Medicine’s dean and U of T’s vice-provost, relations with health care institutions. “In fact, I would go so far as to say that calling him a giant of cardiac surgery would be doing him a disservice, for he truly is a giant of medical practice and the advancement of human health as a whole. It is truly thrilling, and very apt, that his remarkable legacy at U of T will be forever immortalized through what will be known as the Tirone David Chair in Cardiac Surgery.”

This support will allow us to flexibly direct funds to the highest potential areas no matter where they are based in the city of Toronto – improving cardiac care for patients and communities across our city, our country and, ultimately, around the world.

Revolutionizing cardiac care globally

A world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon, David has performed more than 15,000 open-heart surgeries over his more than four decade-long career, while also dedicating time to teaching hundreds of residents and fellows, publishing in excess of 450 scientific papers and travelling the globe delivering lectures and demonstrating complex surgical procedures. He is particularly recognized for his development of his namesake David Operation for the treatment of aortic aneurysms, which is now performed around the world.

“I know firsthand how important resources are,” David explained at a recent event announcing the chair’s creation. “You can have the right people in place, but they can’t realize their full potential without funding. I am so proud to join the Munk family in supporting this new endowed chair and to play a role in ensuring the division has the resources it needs to push the envelope of what is possible in our field.”

A man in a suit giving a speech from a podium

Surgeons who trained and worked alongside David especially laud his commitment to developing his craft – whether that meant devoting extra time to his latest research or spending all night at a patient’s bedside after a long day in the operating room.

“You would be leaving the hospital at nine or 10 o’clock at night and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see Tirone still at his desk, still working,” remembers Yau. “His dedication inspired you to work just a little bit harder.”

“Tirone was the inspiration for our support of cardiac surgery over 25 years ago,” says Melanie Munk. “The fact that Tirone stayed in Canada as the world’s leading cardiovascular surgeon put Canadian cardiac care on the map. If and when Tirone ever slows down, he will continue to mentor future cardiac surgeons around the world.”

For David, who remains ever committed to advancing this field, the fresh perspectives, cutting-edge techniques and relentless curiosity of the next generation promise to push the boundaries of what is possible in cardiovascular surgery. He is hopeful the new chair will ensure that remarkable efforts by new surgeons will be both recognized and supported and that vacant cardiovascular surgery positions will be filled by a team of eager, creative surgeons.

“I am humbled and honoured that my name will one day be linked to this important, life-changing work,” he says.

By Emma Jones