Dr. Sibu P. Saha currently serves as the UKPA Program’s Medical Director and Chief, Transition to Practice and Advanced Training Programs.  He is also a Professor of Surgery for the College of Medicine and Bioengineering. Nearly 40 years ago he came to Lexington to start a heart surgery program at the Central Baptist Hospital. He performed the first open heart surgery at CBH on November 16, 1982. He joined the University of Kentucky as a voluntary faculty member in 1987.   Following a distinguished career in private practice, Dr. Saha joined the faculty at UK College of Medicine in 2002 as professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He served as the chair of the Director’s Council of the Gil Heart Institute until 2019.  He served as the Chief and Program Director for CT Surgery from 2013 to 2018. He is an avid mentor to surgical residents, medical students, and physician assistant students.  In 2010, Dr. Saha and his wife Becky made a very special gift through the Saha Foundation for Cardiovascular Research and Education to establish the Saha Cardiovascular Research Center at UK.  The endowment substantially adds to the Cardiovascular Research Center’s resources, bolstering the exceptional efforts of UK’s physician-scientist and researchers to better understand and seek cures for cardiovascular disease. Dr. Saha is a past president of the International College of Angiology and International College of Surgeons, US Section. Dr. Saha’s research interests include Transmyocardial revascularization, carotid atherosclerosis, lung cancer, and device therapy for hypertension.