A Change of Heart: The Journey From Transplant Surgeon to Transplant Patient
Dr. Robert “Bob” Montgomery MD, DPhil, FACS
St. Lawrence University Class of 1982 P’14
Chairman and Professor of Surgery at NYU Langone Health
Director of New York University’s Langone Transplant Institute
This year’s Bersani lecturer is Dr. Robert “Bob” Montgomery. Dr. Robert “Bob”
Montgomery MD, DPhil, FACS ‘82 P’14 is Chairman and Professor of Surgery at NYU
Langone Health and Director of New York University’s Langone Transplant Institute.
Well-known for his work as a transplant surgeon and researcher, Dr. Montgomery was
part of the team that developed the laparoscopic procedure for live kidney donation,
the protocol for desensitization of incompatible kidney transplant patients, and the
team that performed the first chain of transplants started by an altruistic donor which
has resulted in 11,000 transplants. In 2021, he led the team that performed the first
gene edited pig-to-human xenotransplant and has performed 10 pig heart and kidney
xenotransplants into humans.
In 2018, Dr. Montgomery received a heart transplant himself. His work and advocacy
strives to end the organ shortage crisis.