AGA Medical Corporation has made a $2 million gift to establish the Amplatz Chair in Radiology at the University of Minnesota. The endowed chair honors the achievements of Kurt Amplatz, M.D., a pioneer in the field of interventional radiology and pediatric cardiology, a retired professor of radiology at the University of Minnesota and a cofounder of AGA Medical.
“AGA Medical is not only honoring a world-class physician but is also elevating the Medical School and the entire University community,” says Medical School Dean Deborah Powell, M.D. “The faculty who hold endowed chairs attract other passionate scholars. They ignite their students’ curiosity. Their groundbreaking discoveries turn the world’s attention to Minnesota, bring in major research grants, and create jobs in the University and in the private sector.”
Amplatz is a prolific inventor and a revered interventional radiologist. His inventions include many of the basic tools of interventional radiology, including several guide wires, renal dilators and sheaths, thrombectomy devices, gooseneck snares, and vena cava filters. Perhaps his most famous invention is the Amplatzer® septal occluder.
AGA Medical Corporation, based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, develops interventional devices to treat structural heart defects.
The recipient of the Amplatz Chair will be appointed by Dean Powell in consultation with the chair of the Department of Radiology.
