The Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal editors wish to thank Neal Kleiman, M.D., and Michael J. Reardon, M.D., for serving as guest editors of this special issue on transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Both physicians have a long-tenured relationship with The Methodist Hospital and have played key roles in the leadership of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center (MDHVC). Kleiman and Reardon are principal investigators for Medtronic CoreValve® US Pivotal Trial at Methodist.
Kleiman serves as medical director of the MDHVC cardiac catheterization laboratories and director of the Applied Platelet Physiology Lab and is a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. As the principal or collaborating investigator in more than 100 studies and multicenter trials, Kleiman has done extensive research related to arterial thrombosis, the formation of arterial blood clots, and angioplasty and has devoted considerable time to the design, management, and execution of clinical trials related to acute coronary syndromes and coronary interventions. He received his medical degree from Columbia University in New York and went on to complete his internship, residency, and cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Kleiman is a member of numerous professional organizations and has published more than 150 manuscripts, book chapters and abstracts in publications such as the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and Circulation, among others. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Interventional Cardiology, Circulation, The American Heart Journal, and the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis.
Reardon has been an integral part of The Methodist Hospital surgical team since 1985, having served in numerous positions. He is a past president of the medical staff and currently is director of the cardiovascular operating room and medical director of Methodist’s nurse practitioner program. He is a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and clinical professor of surgery at both Baylor College of Medicine and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Reardon attended Baylor College of Medicine for his medical degree and general surgery residency and completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at the Texas Heart Institute. He has been the principal and co-investigator on several industry and government-sponsored clinical trials and research initiatives, and he is currently on the national steering and screening committees for the Medtronic CoreValve US Pivotal Trial and the international steering committee for the SurTAVI Trial, for which he is also a national surgical principal investigator. Having published more than 300 articles and abstracts, Dr. Reardon conducts peer reviews for publications such as the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and Circulation and is the associate editor of surgery for the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal.
Contributor Information
Neal Kleiman,
Michael J. Reardon,