Dr. Ihab Abdel-Fattah, Senior Medical Director at Rho, is a board certified cardio-thoracic surgeon with almost 20 years of clinical practice and research experience. Prior to joining Rho, Dr. Abdel-Fattah enjoyed a distinguished academic career as a tenured assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Cairo University Medical School, Cairo, Egypt, where he shared his passion and expertise in the respiratory and thoracic therapeutic areas. Cystic fibrosis, COPD, lung transplantation and cancers, pulmonary hypertension, asthma and emphysema, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, tuberculosis and chest wall reconstruction are just a few of the areas that are of special interest to him.

Over the past 9 years, Dr. Abdel-Fattah’s foray into the clinical research space has proven to be very successful citing his experience in clinical drug and medical device development (proof of concept through market support), research and development in pharmacovigilance and product safety (medical devices and medicinal products, pre- and post-authorization), medical affairs, and research and development in lung bioengineering and stem cell research, Covid-19, primary graft dysfunction, and transplant immunology.

Dr. Abdel-Fattah led the development program of an innovative, portable ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) device used in lung transplant from the proof of concept, though all the phases of clinical development, leading up to FDA approval of the device. This portable EVLP device is now used in lung transplantation throughout the US and worldwide. He is the co-author of many publications in the fields of lung transplantation, EVLP, cardiac surgery, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and lung bioengineering.

Why Respiratory?

“The lung is a fascinating organ. The organ’s microscopic design is exceptionally complex and highly efficient, combining the laws of biology and physics to maintain breathing and ventilation. In essence maintaining life. There has been tremendous advancement and discoveries in the field of respiratory medicine in the last 10-15 years, and I enjoy being part of that progress.”

This is what drives Dr. Abdel-Fattah:

“I see the work in medicine and clinical research as a means of combining science, humanity and a lot of times creativity and art. I truly believe in what Dr. Everett Koop, as pediatric surgeon and a former US Surgeon General, once said in describing medicine, which certainly applies to all aspects of healthcare and clinical research ‘it’s a combined quest for knowledge with a way to serve, to save lives and to alleviate suffering.’ “