Cedars-Sinai Surgeon Named Editor-in-Chief of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Joanna Chikwe, MD, Chair of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai, Takes the Helm of Leading Surgery Journal
Joanna Chikwe, MD, founding chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Smidt Heart Institute, has been named editor-in-chief of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons' premier academic journal, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
With over 1.5 million page views a year, The Annals has the largest readership of the specialty’s science journals. Chikwe, who previously served as associate editor and deputy editor for The Annals, and a section editor for leading cardiology journals, including the European Heart Journal and Journal of the American College of Cardiology, will also oversee the launch of the society’s newest journal, Annals Short Reports.
"The Annals is globally recognized, and this is an incredibly exciting time to lead a journal of this stature," said Chikwe, also the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery and a Cedars-Sinai professor of cardiac surgery. "Our goal is to ensure The Annals is the ‘must-read’ choice for the highest-impact cardiothoracic research and education wherever you are, 24/7."
Chikwe is the first woman to be appointed as editor-in-chief of The Annals journal.
A recognized leader in robotic mitral valve repair, Chikwe joined the Smidt Heart Institute in 2019, leading clinical, research and academic programs within the institute and three affiliate cardiac surgery programs.
The Annals is globally recognized, and this is an incredibly exciting time to lead a journal of this stature. Our goal is to ensure The Annals is the 'must-read' choice for the highest-impact cardiothoracic research and education wherever you are, 24/7.
Under her strategic direction, Cedars-Sinai’s Lung Transplant Program has doubled in size and, together with the Heart Transplant Program, is now the largest thoracic transplant program in California. The team carried out one of the earliest successful ECMO bridge-to-lung transplants for COVID-19, and has also pioneered state-of-the-art minimally invasive approaches to lung transplantation, transforming recovery after surgery.
"Dr. Chikwe is an accomplished cardiac surgeon with an impressive record of academic scholarship, effective leadership, and clinical achievement," said Society of Thoracic Surgeons President Sean C. Grondin, MD. "With her significant editorial experience, she has proposed exciting strategies to make The Annals the most impactful and engaging journal in cardiothoracic surgery. We are thrilled to welcome her to the leadership team and are looking forward to continuing our work together in providing a high-quality journal for our specialty."
Chikwe has published more than 200 contributions in peer-reviewed medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and three textbooks of surgery. She is the principal investigator of PRIMARY, the NIH-sponsored pivotal randomized trial of transcatheter or surgical repair for mitral prolapse.
A native of England, she completed her medical degree at the University of Oxford, followed by cardiothoracic surgery residency at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals in London.
Read more from the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Treatment Options for Heart Valve Disease