The Foundation Hosts Nicholas T. Kouchoukos Research Day

On September 18, 2025, The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital held the Nicholas T. Kouchoukos Research Day in partnership with the WashU Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

As a cardiac pioneer, Dr. Kouchoukos helped shape the surgical management of cardiovascular disease and co-authored a book on adult and pediatric cardiothoracic surgery that is still studied in medical schools around the world. His legacy spans more than 40 years with BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine, and he remains a strong advocate for training the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons.

“It’s critical to have people in the field who are innovative, continue to push limits, and make advances that enhance patient care,” Dr. Kouchoukos says. In this spirit, his namesake event gives WashU cardiothoracic surgical trainees the opportunity to present their research to the department of surgery and compete for the Nicholas T. Kouchoukos, MD, Research Fellow Award.

This year, event attendees learned about the future of cardiothoracic care through the innovative research of four surgical trainee presenters:

• Shinichi Kawana, MD

B Cell Activation and Differentiation Occur Independently of T Cells in Lung Transplantation

• Charles R. Liu, MD

mTOR Inhibitor Nanobiologics Ameliorate Fibrotic Graft Remodeling After Lung Transplantation

• Nahom Seyoum, MD

Adoption and Outcomes of Sublobar Resection for Stage I NSCLC in the Veterans Health Administration

• Mary A. Siki, MD

The Role of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Aortic Pathology

Attendees also heard from visiting speaker and previous WashU Medicine team member Alexander Sasha Krupnick, MD, Peter Angelos Professor of Surgery Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation at University of Maryland School of Medicine.

After jury deliberation, the Nicholas T. Kouchoukos, MD, Research Fellow Award was presented to Dr. Charles Liu.

The Foundation thanks all who participated in this year’s event, along with Dr. Kouchoukos, who continues to inspire with his philanthropic legacy. To learn more about Dr. Kouchoukos’ extraordinary impact and invaluable contributions to the field of cardiac medicine, read about the evolution of the WashU and Barnes-Jewish Heart and Vascular Center.