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Biographical Sketch
Kenneth McCurry is a cardiothoracic surgeon specializing in heart failure and heart, lung and combined heart-lung transplantation in adults and children. He is board certified in thoracic surgery and surgery, with added qualifications in surgical critical care. Dr. McCurry joined the Cleveland Clinic staff in 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh where he was head of the Section of Cardiothoracic Transplantation, director of lung and heart-lung transplantation, director of cardiac transplantation, surgical director of clinical heart failure research and surgical director of pediatric lung and heart-lung transplantation.
Selected twice to Best Doctors in America® (2005-2006 and 2007-2008) and America’s Top Surgeons (2006 and 2008), Dr. McCurry is also the 2008 recipient of the American Society of Transplantation/Wyeth Clinical Science Career Development Award in recognition of his contributions in transplantation research.
A prolific researcher and writer, Dr. McCurry has authored several hundred papers in leading medical journals, focusing primarily on patient outcomes following heart, lung and heart-lung transplantation. He presently has more than half a dozen major research grants for clinical trials related to heart failure and transplantation. Dr. McCurry is also a frequent speaker, presenting at or moderating more than 50 sessions at leading medical meetings in the past six years.
Dr. McCurry earned his medical degree from the University of Florida. He served his surgical internship and residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, as well as a fellowship in critical care, research and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). (ECMO is an advanced form of cardiopulmonary bypass used in critically ill patients to allow time for recovery of the lungs and heart.) Dr. McCurry next pursued a surgery research fellowship at Duke University followed by a thoracic surgery residency at the University of Michigan and a fellowship in cardiothoracic transplant surgery and ventricular assist devices at the University of Pittsburgh. He joined the staff of the University of Pittsburgh Medical center in 1998 and Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital in 1999.
Dr. McCurry is a member of numerous professional societies, including the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Medical Association, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, the American Society of Transplantation, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the Society of University Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. He was elected a fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2004.
Specialty Interests
Heart surgery, heart transplant, lung transplant, heart-lung transplantation, aortic valve surgery, bypass surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, heart valve surgery, removal of cardiac tumors, reoperation valve surgery
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists
receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 6/4/2012, Dr. McCurry has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers’ discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.