Francis E. Smit

Prof Francis E. Smit present Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery (2004-) at the University of the Free State (UFS) originally trained under Hannes Meyer (1992). Post graduate training followed under Marc De Leval, Jarle Stark and Donald Ross at the Harley Street Clinic and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London, UK. He became a consultant at the UFS (1993-1998). Thereafter, as a partner in Robin H Kinsley Inc. he was also a founding member of the Walter Sisulu Paediatric Cardiac Centre for Africa and a consultant at the Wits Medical School (1999 – 2003). Prof Smit specializes in adult and paediatric cardiac surgery. He completed his PhD, promoted by David J. Wheatley and Robert W M Frater, on the effect of pre-harvest time ischemia on homograft performance in the ovine model in 2011. He received the Fellowship of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) in 2013 and a Fellowship of the College of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of South Africa ( by peer review) , in 2015. His research interest include valvular and coronary artery disease and advanced pulmonary hypertension in congenital heart disease. He founded the Wheels of Hope Project, conducting Rheumatic heart disease surveillance studies and cardiothoracic disease education in Central South Africa. Laboratory research projects focus on the development and evaluation of biological and mechanical valve substitutes. These include tissue engineering projects and in vitro and in vivo testing in the laboratory and large animal facilities at the UFS. These projects culminated in the development of the Robert W M Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre, inaugurated in 2015. He organizes the annual Hannes Meyer Registrar Symposium aimed at South African and African registrars (2004–2016). As member of the International Co-operation Committee of EACTS, and present Secretary General of the Pan African Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery, he was involved in training and service delivery projects in Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Mozambique. He is an EXCO member of the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of SA and the present Treasurer of the South African Heart Association. He also serves as a Council Member of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Faculty of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.