What's New: 2008-2009 LHI Lecture Series schedule

The Lillehei Heart Institute is an inter-disciplinary research institute within the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center and Medical School. It was made possible by a generous gift from Kaye Lillehei, wife of C. Walton Lillehei, the "Father of Open Heart Surgery." Dr. Lillehei received five degrees from the University of Minnesota and completed his training in surgery at this institution. He was on the faculty in the Department of Surgery from 1951 until 1967. During this pivotal epoch, Dr. Lillehei and the outstanding team assembled at the University of Minnesota pioneered the field of open heart surgery.

The Lillehei Heart Institute is dedicated to honoring the past with the C. Walton Lillehei Museum, while supporting the future through its Lillehei Scholar Program. Annually, over $200,000 is awarded to the best and brightest students in the field of cardiovascular and respiratory research.

LHI has been an integral partner with the Medical School in implementing its cardiovascular strategic plan. Since 2002, LHI has participated in the recruitment of seven new faculty in cardiovascular science, and in August 2003 provided leadership along with the Medical School, Stem Cell Institute, and BioMedical Engineering Institute to recruit Dr. Doris Taylor for the Medtronic Bakken Chair in Cardiovascular Repair. Dr. Taylor directs the Center for Cardiovascular Repair and is a member of LHI's Steering Committee.

The LHI membership includes over 130 multi-disciplinary faculty in cardiovascular and/or respiratory research, both basic and clinical. These individuals represent all six schools within the Academic Health Center (Medical School - Twin Cities & Duluth campuses, Schools of Nursing and Public Health, Colleges of Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine), plus the Institute of Technology, Colleges of Biological Sciences and Education and Human Development. Collectively, our LHI faculty has demonstrated excellent success in procuring extramural funding, currently accounting for approximately 20% of all federally funded research grants on the Twin Cities campus.