SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Welcomes New Chairperson of Surgery to University Hospital at Downstate
By Communications & Marketing | Jan 5, 2022
Panagiotis (Panos) Kougias, M.D., MSc.
Brooklyn, NY—The State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University announced the appointment of Panagiotis (Panos) Kougias, M.D., MSc., as its new Chairperson of Surgery at University Hospital at Downstate.
Dr. Kougias will provide executive leadership, direction, and administration of the Department of Surgery. In addition, he will recruit, direct, and develop a faculty providing the full range of surgical services, including transplant, pediatric, cardiothoracic, critical care, and vascular surgery.
Dr. Kougias and his team will collaborate with other faculty at Downstate to build thriving, multidisciplinary practices that draw patients and referrals from throughout Brooklyn and beyond. He will also lead faculty in developing innovative independent and collaborative clinical and health services research initiatives.
Dr. Kougias most recently was an Associate Division Chief for Vascular Surgery and Chief for the VA Vascular Surgery service line at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. During his 15-year tenure at Baylor, he has led or co-led multiple clinical and research initiatives, many of which achieved regional and national recognition.
Dr. Kougias also established a fenestrated aortic aneurysm program. This minimally invasive procedure allows surgeons to repair the aorta through small incisions in the groin and or arms while still preserving blood flow to the critical branch arteries, kidneys, and other organs. It is the first program of its kind at Baylor.
Dr. Kougias has held numerous leadership positions in national scientific associations. In addition, he serves on multiple editorial boards, including associate and assistant editor positions. His scientific work has been featured in high-impact, peer-reviewed publications, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA Surgery, and the Annals of Surgery.
Dr. Kougias was the Principal Investigator in three randomized controlled trials, including a multi-center randomized trial examining the effect of transfusion strategy on postoperative outcomes in high-risk cardiac patients. Dr. Kougias has received more than $27M in peer-reviewed funding over the past eight years and has been included in America's Top Doctors listing every year since 2009.
Dr. Kougias received his Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX. He completed his Vascular Surgery Fellowship at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and his General Surgery Residency at East Tennessee State University at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, TN.
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Contact: Dawn S. Walker
917.439.9666 | 347.533.2071
dawn.walker@downstate.edu
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate's teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.
In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)—and offering the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs—Downstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.