Endowed professorship established to honor U of A cardiothoracic surgeon Gulshan Sethi
Dr. Gulshan Sethi with his cardiothoracic surgery team. Sethi, professor emeritus of surgery, joined the University of Arizona in 1988 and helped shape cardiothoracic surgery and cardiovascular research for more than three decades. He retired in 2017.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson will establish the Gulshan Sethi, MD Endowed Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery through $1 million in gifts and commitments from a group of donors motivated to honor Sethi's extraordinary legacy of surgical innovation, lifesaving care and mentorship that has shaped generations of physicians and advanced the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Sethi joined the University of Arizona in 1988 and helped shape cardiothoracic surgery and cardiovascular research for more than three decades. In 1989, he performed Arizona's first single-lung transplant and established the Circulatory Science Program, the first master's-level program in pharmacology and perfusion technology. A trailblazer in transplantation and cardiovascular innovation, he performed more than 15,000 open-heart surgeries, published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and trained generations of surgeons.
"His pioneering work in cardiothoracic surgery formed the foundation for significant advances in the field that are now considered routine procedures and have resulted in saving thousands of lives in Arizona and beyond," said Dr. Michael M.I. Abecassis, the Humberto and Czarina Lopez Endowed Dean of the College of Medicine – Tucson.
"I am deeply honored by this recognition. My journey in cardiac surgery has been shaped by extraordinary mentors and colleagues, dedicated trainees and the patients who trusted their lives to me," said Sethi, professor emeritus of surgery who retired from the university in 2017. "Training the next generation of cardiac surgeons was one of the greatest privileges of my career. This professorship represents not only the past but an ongoing responsibility to advance the field through innovation, collaboration and education. This effort will ensure that Tucson continues to benefit from world-class medical care here at home. I am deeply grateful to my wife Neelam, my children Dev, Sonia and Olivia, and my five wonderful grandchildren, whose love and sacrifices have made this achievement possible."
Lead gifts were received from Gulshan and Neelam Sethi; Andrew Weil; Gurpreet and Reema Jaggi; Humberto and Czarina Lopez; Dev and Olivia Sethi; and Sonia Sethi. As testament to Sethi's far-reaching influence across the medical community, more than 55 additional donors contributed to the fund. Many of these donors were former patients, past residents and colleagues.
The $1 million in gifts and commitments will help the college meet fundraising commitments required for a challenge gift for the Sarver Heart Center, whose leaders hope to raise $75 million to build an institutionally designated cardiovascular research institute, pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents. Thanks to the generosity of another donor, a challenge gift has been committed to support the project with a match of $25 million when the college raises $50 million over five years.
"We are incredibly thankful for the generosity of the Sethi family and donors whose gifts established the endowed professorship," said Dr. Hesham Sadek, director of the Sarver Heart Center and chief of the Division of Cardiology. "Cardiothoracic education and patient care would not be where it is today if it were not for pioneers like Dr. Gulshan Sethi. His standards of surgical excellence and innovative thinking elevated how we care for patients. This endowment will help recruit top talent and ensures his legacy at the University of Arizona continues to advance education and patient care in cardiothoracic surgery."
"We are grateful to all those who have honored his legacy through the establishment of the Gulshan Sethi, MD Endowed Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery, which will provide much-needed support for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery to continue its long history of innovation, training the next generation for decades to come and honor him as a trailblazer whose career has had immense impact on the field," Abecassis added.
Cardiothoracic disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Advances in surgical techniques, technology and postoperative care have improved outcomes, but an aging population and increasingly complex conditions continue to drive the need for progress in research, education and clinical care.
"Dr. Sethi's legacy will continue through the cardiothoracic surgeons who will hold this professorship in the years to come," said John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation. "It's a meaningful tribute to someone who has touched so many lives, and I'm grateful to the 60 donors who came together to honor him in this way."
The $1 million in gifts and commitments is part of the Fuel Wonder campaign, the university's $3 billion fundraising effort. Gifts already made to the campaign are giving every student access to a cohesive ecosystem of support, powering new insights into the human immune system and transforming research in areas including cancer, engineering, space sciences and the humanities.