On the podcast this week is Dr Jonathan Sackier, MB, ChB, FRCS, FACS who is an internationally renowned surgeon, technology innovator and entrepreneur.

Trained in Britain as a surgeon and recruited to the USA in 1989 he helped lead the laparoscopic surgery revolution. As a Professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC, he founded, and funded the Washington Institute of Surgical Endoscopy, a center for education, research & innovation. He is a Visiting Professor of Medicine & Surgery at the University of Virginia and his activities in basic and clinical research funded by multiple grants have led to many publications, chapters and books. He has served multiple journals as editor or reviewer, has been involved in medical societies at the highest level and has been honored for his work in many countries.

Jonathan’s collaborations with the pharmaceutical and medical device industry have resulted in technologies that have been brought to market with partners like Valleylab, Pfizer, Karl Storz, Applied Medical and Pall. In 1984 his team at Genethics discovered and patented a line of amniotic stem cells and then licensed the rights to a publicly traded British drug discovery company. He helped develop and bring to market the AESOP robot with Computer Motion, who had a successful IPO in 1997 and has also started a medical products contract sales organization, a locum medical agency and a communications company. He has consulted to many companies including Aventis, Cook, Integra Neurosciences, Bayer, Cryocath, Novartis and ConvaTec and has worked with the financial community on enterprise financing, mergers & acquisitions and due diligence.

A frequent commentator in the media, Jonathan has been a guest on radio and television many times to discuss various healthcare issues. In the mid-1990’s he hosted a television health magazine program “Health and Wellness” aimed at a senior audience for the Goodlife Cable TV network and served the communications company Spotlight Health with their celebrity featured outreach including the hugely successful Carnie Wilson web-cast which drove increased attention to bariatric surgery as an option for the management of morbid obesity.

Jonathan has served the National Committee of the Steppenwolf Foundation, is a Trustee of the First Star Foundation, the Virginia Hillel Board and previously chaired the Board of the Larry King Cardiac Foundation. He has sat on the Associate Board of AdvaMed (the medical device industry trade association) and on several corporate and scientific advisory boards.

# 38 📻 Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

The Human Performance PodcastBy VirtiDec 02, 2020