Joanna Chikwe appointed as editor-in-chief of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has appointed Joanna Chikwe (chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, USA) as the new editor-in-chief of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and its soon-to-be-launched open access journal, Annals Short Reports. She will step into this role on 1 January 2022.

“This is an exhilarating time to run a journal of this calibre, because of the exciting science and technology transforming our specialty and the untapped potential of digital content,” said Chikwe. “STS is the most widely recognised organisation in cardiothoracic surgery, so the potential global impact is huge.”

Chikwe’s vision for The Annals encompasses greater impact, relevance, and reach for the journal. She also will guide the expansion of its digital platform and the launch of the new Annals Short Reports during the first quarter of 2022, the STS said in a press release.

Chikwe previously served as associate editor and deputy editor for The Annals, and as a section editor for specialty journals such as the European Heart Journal and Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In addition, she has published more than 200 peer‐reviewed contributions and three surgery textbooks, as well as led six expert consensus writing groups. Chikwe also is the principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored trial with the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network that examines surgical versus transcatheter degenerative mitral valve repair.

A recognised leader in the fields of robotic mitral valve repair and coronary revascularisation, Chikwe is the founding chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. She also serves as the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery and professor of cardiac surgery.

Chikwe completed her medical degree at the University of Oxford (Oxford, UK), cardiothoracic surgery residency at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals (London, UK) and cardiac surgery fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, USA). She remained on the Mount Sinai faculty for more than a decade before being recruited to lead the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai.

“Dr Chikwe is an accomplished cardiac surgeon with an impressive record of academic scholarship, effective leadership, and clinical achievement,” said STS president Sean C Grondin. “With her significant editorial experience, she has proposed exciting strategies to make The Annals the most impactful and engaging journal in cardiothoracic surgery. We are thrilled to welcome her to the leadership team and are looking forward to continuing our work together in providing a high-quality journal for our specialty.”

Chikwe’s appointment follows the departure of G Alexander Patterson who has served as editor-in-chief since 2015. The first issue under Chikwe’s editorship is expected to publish in mid-2022.


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