Soleimani named chair of the Department of Surgery

Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center have named Dr. Behzad Soleimani, professor of surgery, as the new chair of the Department of Surgery, effective Jan. 1.

Soleimani is a distinguished surgeon and a visionary leader with a decade of leadership experience at Penn State College of Medicine. He currently serves as the director of the Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute (HVI) and chief of cardiac surgery, and he holds the William S. Pierce Endowed Professorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery. In addition to this new role, Dr. Soleimani will remain the director of HVI.

He takes the reins from Dr. Colette Pameijer, who has served as interim chair since September 2022, maintaining our Department of Surgery’s focus on providing high-quality surgical care, the education of future surgeons and translational research.

Soleimani has shared a few areas he is particularly proud of and excited to build upon including the department’s rich legacy of excellence, incredible faculty talent, improvement of resident training, collaborative leadership, advancing academic productivity, and the department’s commitment to system integration.

Soleimani is an exceptional leader and an innovator, having pioneered multiple surgical techniques in the cardiovascular space. He has elevated our cardiac surgery program to national prominence by spearheading groundbreaking initiatives that have significantly enhanced patient outcomes and operational efficiencies. National recognition includes receiving the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ coveted 3-star rating for coronary artery bypass surgery and being named one of the nation’s top 50 cardiac surgery programs by Healthgrades.

Soleimani remains dedicated to research excellence by expanding and advancing research to advance cardiovascular medicine by attracting top-tier talent, integrating cutting-edge investigative tools, and significantly increasing clinical trial enrollments. Specific achievements include increasing and managing HVI extramural funding from $3.5 million in FY23 to $4.1 million in FY24 with 16 active extramural grants, including six National Institute of Health R01 grants, and raising more than $350,000 per year through philanthropic efforts for research and education.
A commitment to education and mentorship has also been a cornerstone of his career, where he has consistently fostered a culture of academic rigor and collaboration by mentoring future leaders in the field. Dr. Soleimani continues to publish and present research findings at professional conferences, enhancing the visibility and reputation of the programs he represents.

Pameijer will remain a professor of surgery and chief of the Division of General Surgery Specialists and Surgical Oncology.

“Please join us in congratulating Dr. Soleimani on this role and thanking Dr. Pameijer for her contributions,” said Dr. Karen Kim, dean of the College of Medicine, and Don McKenna, president of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in a joint statement.

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