Same Surgeon Different Light Podcast

#174; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri

In this Same Surgeon, Different Light episode, hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Cherie Erkmen sit down with cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri to reflect on his early training in Italy, a once-imagined path in music, and his fellowship at Columbia University. He shares insights from leadership roles across Europe and Canada, discussing his work advancing minimally invasive valve and atrial fibrillation surgery, training as a left-handed surgeon, and building programs from the ground up.
In a candid conversation on leading change, he reflects on introducing new technologies in complex academic environments, mentoring the next generation, and embracing resilience, lifelong learning, and balance—lessons shaped by family life in Toronto, skiing Canadian winters, and playing guitar in a band.

#173; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Bo Yang

Today, co-hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Cherie Erkmen sit down with guest Dr. Bo Yang, who shares his remarkable career path from medical school and early cardiothoracic training at Xiangya University in China, to earning a PhD in pharmacology in the United States, to retraining in surgery at the University of Arizona and Stanford and ultimately joining the University of Michigan as a surgeon-scientist.
Along the way, he reflects on the mentors, cultural challenges, and relentless work ethic that carried him through 13 years of retraining.
It’s a compelling chat, as Dr. Yang discusses building a basic science lab, while launching a complex aortic practice, developing the Y-incision aortic root enlargement technique, and learning to become a more patient and intentional teacher. offers words of wisdom on the importance of spending time with your family.

#172; S6: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Doug Wood

In the Season 6 premiere episode, live from STS 2026, host Dr. Sara Pereira and guest co-host Dr. Fatima Wilder sit down with Dr. Doug Wood, who shares his extraordinary journey—from growing up on a farm in rural Michigan in a family that valued education, to attending the National Science Foundation Summer Science Program at Purdue University, to becoming a national champion rower at Harvard, and ultimately serving as a division chief, department chair, and leader in lung cancer surgery and advocacy. It’s a fascinating conversation, as he reflects on his career with humility and self-deprecating humor.

171; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ STS President Joseph Sabik, MD

In this special episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, hosts Dr. Cherie Erkmen and Dr. Sara Pereira sit down with STS President Dr. Joseph Sabik as he reflects on his early interest science, the mentors who shaped his career, and the pivotal role mentorship continues to play in his leadership within the Society.
He also shares insights into what attendees can anticipate at the 62nd STS Annual Meeting, unpacks the meaning behind this year’s theme—“Teaching for Tomorrow Together”—and offers an exclusive preview of the inspiring speakers and events that will celebrate the specialty’s future.

170; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ ‘You Belong’ Scholarship Recipients

In the latest episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, host Dr. Sara Pereira welcomes three recent “You Belong” Scholarship recipients — medical student Manuel De La Garza, Dr. Sanjhai Ramdeen, and Dr. Humberto Rodriguez-Quintero — to discuss the career paths they are forging as future leaders in medicine. 
They also share how attending the 61st STS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles strengthened their commitment to pursuing a career in cardiothoracic surgery.  Highlights of the three-day event included discussions on the importance of both organic and assigned mentorship, insights on how CT surgeons can benefit from coaching, and a lively debate that presented different perspectives on the Ross Procedure.

169; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Emily Farkas

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen welcomes Dr. Emily Farkas, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Indiana University School of Medicine, to discuss her unconventional path to becoming a trailblazer in global medicine. Dr. Farkas shares how she balances a clinical career in academic medicine with surgical missions around the world, and she reflects on her hope of serving as a model for the next generation of surgeons committed to giving back. As she puts it, “You can craft a career that’s a bit different from the rigid way we traditionally view cardiac surgery.”

168; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger

Host Dr. Sara Pereira sits down with Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University, to explore her remarkable career journey. Dr. Zwischenberger shares how she briefly considered majoring in Italian Studies before deciding to follow in the footsteps of her surgeon father and mentor. She also opens up about personal challenges—including divorce and single motherhood—and how support from her surgical partners helped her become a respected clinician, accomplished researcher, and the first female associate professor of cardiac surgery at Duke.

#167; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Ian Bostock

Host Dr. Sara Pereira sits down with Dr. Ian Bostock, a thoracic surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and an associate professor of surgery at Florida International University. Their conversation explores his journey from childhood in Mexico and his early passion for both biology and art, to his initial interest in transplant surgery—and how a serendipitous meeting at Starbucks helped shape his career path. Dr. Bostock also reflects on the importance of supporting trainees and early-career surgeons as they embark on their professional journeys.

#166; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen speaks with Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic, cardiothoracic surgeon and CEO & President of the Cleveland Clinic, about his remarkable path from early life in Croatia to surgical training in Zurich and Boston, a journey that reflects the international growth of the Cleveland Clinic itself. Now at the helm of one of the world’s most prestigious healthcare systems, Dr. Mihaljevic shares how his global experiences continue to shape his vision for delivering exceptional care worldwide.

#165; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Lisa Brown

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen sits down with Dr. Lisa Brown, thoracic surgeon at UC Davis Health, to explore the pivotal moments that shaped her unique journey in medicine — from working as a nursing assistant and contemplating PA school, to earning her medical degree and initially leaning toward emergency medicine, before ultimately finding her calling in thoracic surgery. Dr. Brown also shares her clinical passions and dives into the importance of her research in preoperative education and patient-reported outcomes — and why these areas matter so deeply to her.