In 1975, Canada faced a surplus of physicians, leading many Canadian doctors to move to the United States where better equipment and higher incomes beckoned. Bucking the trend, a young surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic came to Toronto General Hospital for advanced training in cardiovascular surgery.
Almost 50 years later, after countless opportunities to go elsewhere, Dr. Tirone David chose to stay at what is now the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at University Health Network (UHN).
“If you say the name Tirone David to any cardiac surgeon in the world, they know who you are talking about,” says Dr. Barry Rubin, Medical Director of UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
On June 14, 2025, Dr. David will be officially inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in the Science, Technology and Innovation category for his service as one of the top cardiovascular surgeons in the world. He has been called one of the biggest influencers in cardiovascular surgery, pioneering 16 ground-breaking procedures and performing more than 15,000 open-heart surgeries — with a nearly 100 per cent success rate — and publishing more than 450 scientific papers. As a visiting professor, he has performed surgeries in more than 60 countries.
Born in Ribeirão Claro, Brazil, Dr. David honoured his father’s wish to pursue a career in medicine. Gifted with outstanding manual dexterity, he forged ahead to train as a surgeon. He quickly realized that the heart was the most intriguing to him – and as he described – the least forgiving.
His studies took him to the United States, where he continued his residency at the Cleveland Clinic. There he met a visiting professor who was giant in the cardiovascular surgery world: Dr. Wilfred Bigelow from Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Bigelow saw something in the young resident and invited him to continue his training in Toronto.
Although Dr. David originally intended to return to Brazil, and the Cleveland Clinic wanted him to join its team full time, he chose to move to Toronto. The opportunity to treat all patients, not just those who could afford it, was important. “Given the breadth of intricate patients I see here, I knew I would never stop learning,” he says. “And the opportunity to operate on all sorts of patients would help my practice and allow my research to have the widest possible impact.”
Dr. David’s pursuit of perfection resulted in innovation that elevated the cardiovascular division’s reputation and outcomes. In addition to introducing new surgical techniques to repair the heart, he had the foresight to follow his patients by establishing a database that tracked their outcomes over the past 45 years. He says none of it would have been possible without philanthropy.
The late entrepreneur Peter Munk and his wife, Melanie, gave the first of many gifts in 1993 to help establish the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and the Melanie Munk Chair in Cardiovascular Surgery, which Dr. David held. After that meeting, Dr. David presented his plans to bolster the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre’s cardiac surgery program and solidify its position as a global leader in the field. The idea excited the visionary business magnate, and it was there that the foundation for a transformative philanthropic legacy – not to mention a lifelong friendship – was laid.
“Peter and Melanie’s support was one of the reasons I didn’t move back to the United States. This allowed us to develop a collaborative practice model where cardiologists, surgeons and other cardiovascular specialists worked together and developed several academic programs focused on innovation and research.
If you look at our contribution to academic medicine, it’s as good as any large U.S. university, if not better.” Throughout his tenure at UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Dr. David has kept an eye out for top young talent, providing mentorship and advanced training opportunities to keep the best cardiac surgeons in Toronto. At 80-years of age, he knows retirement is on the horizon and he wants to leave the cardiac surgery division in the best hands.
Dr. David has been a magnet for top talent. When he set out to develop the Mechanical Heart Program at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, he wanted Dr. Vivek Rao, a rising star whom he had supervised, to lead it. Knowing nearly every major North American hospital was keen to start a mechanical heart program and that Dr. Rao would have other serious offers to consider, Dr. David wanted his offer to be the most attractive. He asked several donors, including the late Peter Munk, for funding to help him and Dr. Rao launch the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre’s mechanical heart program. Today, Dr. Rao remains at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
Another star is Dr. Maral Ouzounian, Head of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. She had come to the attention of Dr. David, who recognized her potential and wanted to ensure she stayed at UHN. He helped to arrange a fellowship at the prestigious Texas Heart Institute in Houston so she could develop her skills in complex aortic repairs.
“Dr. David’s legacy has been to instil and develop a culture of innovation, scientific curiosity, and clinical excellence in the team. And that attracted other surgeons from around the world to train under him to see him operate and be influenced by him,” says Dr. Ouzounian. “He is my north star in many ways.” She also credits Dr. David with being a large part of why she has stayed at UHN despite several opportunities to move to the United States.
Recent cardiac surgery recruit from Harvard, Dr. Seyed Alireza Rabi, agrees. “Dr. David is one of the giants of cardiac surgery and every surgeon in the world has learned about the pioneering techniques he has developed.
He has built a culture and a reputation of unparalleled innovation.” Dr. Rabi has joined UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre as the newest cardiovascular surgeon and has been appointed to UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. His research will focus on advancing innovations in heart transplantation.
“If you say the name Tirone David to any cardiac surgeon in the world, they know who you are talking about”
– Dr. Barry Rubin, Medical Director of UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to support Dr. David’s big, bold ideas that ultimately revolutionized cardiovascular surgery,” said Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation. “His innovations have not only rewritten the medical books but have also had a profound impact on patient care around the world. This incredible achievement underscores the vital role philanthropy plays in retaining top talent and driving life-changing advancements in health care.”
On that note, UHN launched the Canada Leads 100 Challenge in April. This $30-million philanthropic campaign aims to recruit 100 top early-career scientists from around the world who are looking for the best home to conduct their research. This investment in innovative medical research will accelerate life-changing discoveries, spur economic growth and grow global influence to improve the lives of Canadians.
“We want to attract those young stars to Canada to change the world like Dr. David did.”
Learn more about how you can help us attract the world’s best talent at: UHNfoundation.ca/CanadaLeads
This article originally appeared in The Globe and Mail.
