ANNOUNCING JOSEPH TONNA, MD, MS, AS THE INAUGURAL VICE CHAIR OF RESEARCH
Joseph Tonna, MD, MS, FCCM, FACEP, FAAEM, has been appointed the inaugural Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah. Dr. Tonna earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago, completed medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, and went on to a residency at Stanford University, followed by a fellowship in Critical Care at the University of Washington. He joined the University of Utah Health faculty in 2014.
Dr. Tonna is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and holds an adjunct position in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He serves as the Section Head of Cardiothoracic Critical Care and Associate Director of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Services. Previously, he served as the Medical Director of the Cardiovascular ICU, where he continues to provide clinical care.
Dr. Tonna has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications since 2016 and led the development of three international ECMO guidelines. His research interests include clinical trials and advanced rescue therapies for critically ill patients, with a focus on ECMO, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR), and cardiogenic shock.
Dr. Tonna’s research has been continuously funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2018. He is the Principal Investigator (PI) on a $2.5 million NIH R01 supporting a multicenter, randomized clinical trial on ECMO management, which explores the role of an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump. He has also led the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) as Chair of the Scientific Oversight Committee and currently serves as Chair of the ELSO Registry, overseeing the world’s largest ECMO registry, focusing on quality, research, regulatory matters, and industry partnerships.
As Vice Chair of Research, Dr. Tonna aims to cultivate a collaborative research environment within the Department of Surgery. His vision includes supporting high-impact, patient-centered research; fostering interdivisional and interdepartmental collaborations; addressing barriers to external funding; and recruiting and retaining talented researchers. Additionally, he is committed to improving departmental support for investigators while minimizing unnecessary research demands on non-research-focused faculty.
