Joseph Sabik elected STS president

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has announced the election of Joseph Sabik (Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, USA), as its president for the 2025 term.

Sabik, a cardiothoracic surgeon with University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, currently serves as chair of the Department of Surgery at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center; surgeon-in-chief at University Hospitals Health System; Oliver H Payne professor and chair, Department of Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; and Sally and Bob Gries distinguished chair in cardiac surgery.

Sabik’s exemplary career spans three decades, marked by significant contributions to cardiac surgery and medical education. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

His postgraduate training includes a general surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and a thoracic and cardiovascular surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic, where he later became chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Throughout his career, Sabik has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing the field of cardiothoracic surgery, STS said in a press release. His specialty interests include adult cardiac surgery, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, surgery of the thoracic aorta, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, and off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

As a notable researcher, he served as co-principal investigator for the EXCEL trial, comparing drug-eluting stents in select patients with left main coronary artery disease. The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Other numerous studies he authored or co-authored have been published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Journal of American Society of Echocardiography.

In addition to serving on the STS board of directors, Sabik held positions on several of the Society’s councils and committees, including the Finance Committee; Council on Clinical Practice and Member Engagement; Council on Quality, Research, and Patient Safety; and Council on Health Policy and Relationships.

As STS President, Sabik aims to further the organisation’s mission by enhancing the quality and accessibility of data to inform best practices and improve patient outcomes, supporting innovative studies that push the boundaries of cardiothoracic medicine, and providing surgeons with cutting-edge training to refine their skills and adopt new techniques.

“I am deeply honoured to serve as the president of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and to lead this remarkable organisation in 2025,” said Sabik. “STS has been at the forefront of advancing excellence in cardiothoracic surgery, and I look forward to working alongside our dedicated members to foster innovation, enhance education, and strengthen advocacy efforts that benefit both our profession and the patients we serve.”

Sabik’s leadership is expected to guide STS in its ongoing efforts to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy.

Also elected during the Annual Meeting were Vinay Badhwar (West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA), as first vice president, and Vinod Thourani (Marcus Valve Center, Piedmont Heart Institute, Atlanta, USA), as second vice president.