Tofy Mussivand, PhD, is Chair and Director of the Cardiovascular Devices Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. He is also Chair of the Medical Devices Program, Professor of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine, Professor of Engineering in the School of Information Technology and Engineering, and Professor in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Ottawa and Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University. He established the Medical Devices Commercialization Centre (Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada), a collaborative network of medical devices stakeholders, to develop and commercialize viable, safe, reliable, effective and needed medical devices for success in the global clinical market.
He has been actively involved in the medical devices field for over 25 years in Canada and internationally.
Background
Dr. Mussivand received his undergraduate education and training in engineering and management. Following many successful years in senior positions in government, crown corporations and the private sector, he received his doctorate in Medical Engineering and Medical Sciences at the University of Akron and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Thereafter, he joined the internationally acclaimed Cleveland Clinic Hospital and Research Foundation, where he gained invaluable knowledge and experience in the development of medical devices, artificial hearts and cardiac care. In 1989, he was invited to return to Canada to continue his pioneering work in the field of medical devices.
Dr. Mussivand has achieved national and global recognition. His breakthroughs have resulted in prominently situating Canada in the fields of medical devices, artificial hearts, remote power transfer and in situ sterilization.
Combining his scientific, management and business expertise, Dr. Mussivand has chaired and served as a member on several boards, and he has been a CEO of several successful corporations. His leadership has been responsible for creating over 1,000 man years in the Canadian workforce and has been the catalyst for an influx of more than $600 million, primarily from outside Canada, during the past 10 years.
Awards
- Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
- Recipient of the Knowledge Translation Award, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) (2010)
- Recipient of the John Foerster Distinguished Lecturer Award, for lifetime contributions in the field of cardiovascular medicine (2010)
- Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award: Regional Innovation, National Research Council of Canada (2001)
- Recipient of the Synergy Award, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Conference Board of Canada (2000)
- Recipient of the Ottawa Life Sciences Entrepreneurial Award (1999)
- Recipient of President’s Award, Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) (1999)
- Recipient of Brazilian Cardiac Surgeons Award in recognition of important contributions in the development of artificial organs (1998)
- Recipient of MEDEC Award for Medical Achievement (1998)
- Recipient of Applied Research Award, Ottawa Life Sciences Council (1997)
Honours
- Certificate of Honour of 25 years of service, Faculty of Medicine Professorial Promotion and Awards Ceremony, 2015.
- Researcher of the Month, Canadians for Health Research (CHR), 2011.
- Recipient of Hippocratic plaque, World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, Kos, Greece, 2008.
- Recipient of Marble plaque of Hippocratic tree, the honour was presented at Hippocratic park in Kos, Greece, World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, 2008
- Appointed Member of Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology (PMACST), Government of Canada (Last 3 Prime Ministers), 2000-2007
- Selected Fellow, The European Academy of Sciences, 2001
- Selected Fellow, Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Canada, 2000
- Recipient of the Brazilian HeartSaver Group Honour, 2000
- Selected Fellow, The New York Academy of Sciences
- Selected Fellow, The International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences
- Selected Fellow, American Society of Medical Engineering
- Medical Devices Chair, University of Ottawa and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, the recognition was received on November 26, 1998.
- Nominated, Michael Smith Award for Excellence, 1998
- Notable mention in the book entitled “Inventing Canada”, Medical Wonders: The HeartSaver: Tofy Mussivand, Vancouver, 1997
- First person to transmit and receive patient record and information over ATM between North America and Europe, February 27, 1995
- Nominated by the Inventors Association for the 1994 Manning Award
- Appointed by the order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council as a Member of the Alberta Provincial Planning Board, 1975 – 1977
Museum Displays
Over the years, selected numbers of inventions by Dr. Mussivand have been exhibited at various museums around the world including:
- Canada Science and Technology Museum: Ottawa, Canada, 2002-Present
- Canada and World Pavilion: Ottawa, Canada, 2001-Present
- London Science Museum: London, England, 2000-Present
- Juno Beach Centre: Caen, France, 2003-Present
- International Centre for Medical Technologies: Houston, Texas, USA, 2002-Present
- Smithsonian National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health: Washington, DC, USA, 2002-Present
Dr. Mussivand has demonstrated outstanding leadership in knowledge transfer including serving in senior roles on several top scientific journals in his field (Co-editor of Artificial Organs, Coordinating Editor, North American for Int J Artif Organs, Section Editor for American Society for Artificial Internal Organs, Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, and others).
- Grant Reviewer, Ontario Centres of Excellence Expert Review Panel, 2014-Present
- Grant Reviewer, MITACS Accelerate, 2013-Present
- Grant Reviewer, Research Fund of Quebec - Nature and Technology (FRQNT), 2012-2013
- Chair, Peer Review Committee, Ontario Research Fund, Research Excellence Competition, 2011
- Grant Reviewer, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), 2010
- Grant Reviewer, Center for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology (CIMIT), 2010
- Grant Reviewer, Canadian Foundation for Innovation
- Program Reviewer, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK)
- Grant Reviewer, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Biotechnology Research Partnerships Program
- Grant reviewer, Natural Science & Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
- External Reviewer, International Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
- External Reviewer, ASAIO Journal
- External Reviewer, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
- Peer Reviewer, National Research Council of Canada’s Biotechnology Program (2001-Present)
- Reviewer, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- External Reviewer, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
Dr. Mussivand has published over 250 papers, books and technical articles, and he has supervised and taught over 300 students and post-doctoral fellows.
Research and clinical interests
Clinical
Dr. Mussivand has utilized his multidisciplinary background in pioneering 36 major discoveries and breakthroughs including 12 world’s firsts and leading technologies, including:
- Artificial Heart: He is a world leader in artificial hearts and enabling technologies. He pioneered development of the first pulsatile ventricular assist device that is implantable (in the chest) that can be remotely powered, monitored, and controlled.
- Guidelines/Solutions: Advanced application of devices through research and publications providing practical technological and scientific solutions for patient complications.
- Thermal Therapy: Advanced the visionary concept based on thermal energy transfer in order to trigger the body’s own natural healing mechanisms.
- Alzheimer and Blood flow Relation: Research on the methodology of fluid flow visualization of blood flow patterns led to the publication of an important and original hypothesis in Alzheimer’s research.
- Blot Clot Prevention: Pioneered a novel method for quantifying blood flow patterns, velocities and shear forces measurements and optimizing designs to prevent thrombosis. This is now a standard procedure utilized in the development of blood conducting devices (valves, artificial hearts, conduits, etc.).
- Optimized Power Transfer to the Human Body: Introduced, optimized non-invasive electronic systems for transferring power through intact skin/tissue (protecting body from invading pathogens) for implanted medical devices.
- Monitoring/Control: Pioneered remote patient monitoring and device control systems utilizing electronics and communication technologies for medical devices. First person to accomplish transatlantic transfer of patient/heart data, and demonstrated this world’s first technology at the G7 in Brussels and in Tokyo. This work received international acclaim including ABC World News with Peter Jennings entitled “Medicine on the Outer Edge”.
- Fingerprints DNA: Developed a method and devices based on engineering microfluidics and electric field generation to rapidly sample and extract NDA from invasive and non-invasive samples (e.g. from fingerprints) in 15 minutes. This innovation was named a breakthrough in Reader’s Digest.
- In Situ Sterilization: Conceived a novel approach and device to reduce or eliminate medical device infections. This advancement could significantly reduce human suffering and cost of infections with implantable medical devices and resolves a major problem for the healthcare system.
Research
Dr. Mussivand's areas of interest and contributions include artificial hearts (mechanical circulatory support devices) as treatment for heart failure, remote power transfer for implantable medical devices, remote patient monitoring (telemedicine), biofluid dynamics to reduce/eliminate thrombosis in blood conducting devices, patient care simulation centre, detection devices and methods for detection, in situ sterilization, medical devices (failure analysis and regulatory process) and medical sensors.
Publications
See current publications list at PubMed.
See Research Gate profile.
Selected publications:
- A National Medical Devices Strategy for Canada. Medical devices Innovation Institute. 2012.
- Medical Devices Challenges and Opportunities for Enhancing the Health and Wealth of Canadians. Medical Devices Innovation Institute. 2011.
- Mussivand T. Guest Editor: Selected Contributions from the 16th World Congress of the World Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons, Artificial Organs, November 2008;32(11).
- Mussivand T. Editorial: Neurological dysfunction associated with mechanical circulatory support: complications that still need attention. Artificial Organs 2008;32:831-834.
- Mussivand T, Alshaer H, Haddad H, Beanlands DS, Beanlands R, Chan KL et al. Thermal therapy: a viable adjunct in the treatment of heart failure? Congest Heart Fail 2008;14:180-186.
- Mussivand T. Editorial: Mechanical circulatory support devices: is it time to focus on the complications, instead of building another new pump? Artificial Organs 2008;32:1-4.
- Mussivand T. Communications: Honouring living legends II. Artificial Organs 2007;31:586-595.