Chu Jeng CHIU

CHIU, Dr. Chu Jeng (Ray)
MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS, FACC
March 13, 1934 – January 4, 2014
On Saturday, January 4th 2014, Dr. Ray CJ Chiu passed away peacefully in his 80th year with his family by his side at the Montreal General Hospital.
He was husband for over 51 years of Dr. Jane Mong Hua (Tan) Chiu; beloved father of Dr. Daniel Chiu (Lisa Seachrist Chiu) and Dr. Wendy Chiu (the late Dr. Harry Wong); proud "Yeh yeh" (grandfather) of Anya Chiu; eldest son of the late Dr. Ping Hong Chiu and the late Li Chu Kuo Chiu; eldest of brothers Dr. Chu Shin Chiu (Chin Shia Chiu), the late Dr. Chu Yong Chiu (Mei Huei Chiu), and Dr. Thomas Chu Tsen Chiu (Susan Shu Chen Chiu), and of sisters Susan Su Chi Shieh (Dr. Steven Shuang Yuang Shieh), Joyce Chun Tsu Luh (Dr. Peter Ming Kung Luh), and Maggie Mei Tsu Wang (Dr. Ta Jang Wang); and "big uncle" to many nieces and nephews and their families.
Ray was born in Tokyo, Japan and grew up in Matou, Taiwan where his father had a thriving Ophthalmology practice. He received his MD '59 summa cum laude from National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, becoming the fourth generation of medical doctors in his family. After a harrowing year of mandatory active military service as a medic stationed on Quemoy Island in the Taiwan Strait, he immigrated to the United States for surgical internship at Baltimore City Hospital (Johns Hopkins Medical School affiliated); then residency training in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Centre in Brooklyn NY under the tutelage of his mentor, the late Dr. Clarence Dennis. In 1968, he immigrated to Canada to obtain his PhD in Experimental Surgery at McGill University, which he remarkably completed in just 2 years; then was appointed Assistant Professor in the McGill Faculty of Medicine's Department of Surgery, and staff surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital. A leader in the then-nearly unknown hybrid career of surgeon- researcher (clinician-scientist), he rapidly advanced to the rank of tenured Full Professor in just 10 years. From 1992-2000, he was Director of the McGill Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, following in the footsteps of notable past directors as Dr. Norman Bethune, Dr. Arthur Vineberg and Dr. Tony Dobell. The 1990s-2000s were his most productive years, including extensive international travel for visiting professorships. Though officially retired from clinical practice since 2007, he remained very involved in research for years thereafter; and continued to work in his MGH 9th floor office until precluded by his health in 2013.
Through his research, he advanced a number of novel ideas and techniques in cardiac surgery, including the spiral vena cava graft, retrograde coronary cardioplegia, and dynamic cardiomyoplasty. He then explored stem cell therapy for heart failure – a pioneer in the field, publishing the first report on "cellular cardiomyoplasty" in 1992, and the first book in this domain in 1997. From year 2000, his research focused on adult stem cells to repair damaged myocardium given their unique immunotolerance characteristics. Over the course of his career, he published more than 350 peer reviewed papers, invited commentaries, chapters, and editorials, over 250 abstracts, and seven books; held three patents; served as a member of several grant review committees including at NIH, CIHR, and as Chairman of an international advisory committee for the Stem Cell Center at the National Health Research Institute of Taiwan; and was editor, associated editor or editorial board member for numerous leading international journals in the field. He gave over 200 visiting professorships and invited lectures worldwide, including to the British National Heart Institute, the Russian Academy of Science, and at many universities such as Oxford, Yale, Sydney, Paris, Kyoto, Tokyo, Beijing, Toronto, and McGill. He travelled around the globe with his wife for these, visiting almost every continent "from the north pole (St. Petersburg, then-USSR) to the south (Melbourne, Australia)", which he enjoyed demonstrating on a world map with places visited marked by smiley face stickers, as inspired by his granddaughter. He mentored legions of residents, fellows, faculty and researchers in surgery and surgical research the world over; and his greatest satisfaction was from his former students achieving personal and career success for themselves. He received many honours, including the Scientific Award of the Chinese-American Medical Association (fondly recalling that he came to North America from the "Far East" with just $150, a stethoscope and a job; and was proud to be one of the first Asian division chairs at McGill,), and an invitation to be on the nominating committee for the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1982. In 2012, at the impetus of his brother Dr. Thomas CT Chiu and wife Mrs. Susan SC Chiu, the "Dr. Ray Chu Jeng Chiu Distinguished Scientist in Surgical Research" endowment was established by the MGH Foundation; and the 2014 Stikeman Visiting Professorship promoting research in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at McGill will be devoted to his life and former students' work. He took great pride in his professional accomplishments, not so much for himself as for his department, his university and his family. Cardiovascular surgical research was his life passion, and he truly was a pioneer and leader in the field.
The family wishes to thank the MGH 10 East Palliative Care Unit team for their compassionate care in his last weeks of life, Ms. Olga Guerra, MGH Oncology infirmière-pivot, and many others at the MGH; Dr. Gerald Fried and Dr. David Mulder for their support and collegiality both professionally over the years and personally in his last days; and Mrs. Minh Duong and Mrs. Emma Lisi for decades of dedicated support of his work.
A memorial service shall be held by the McGill Department of Surgery and his family on Friday, January 31st 2014 at 4PM in the Livingston Hall 6th floor lounge of the Montreal General Hospital – his cherished "second home" for over 45 years – 1650 Cedar Ave., Montreal QC; followed by a reception onsite. Cremation and enterrement private. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the "Dr. Ray Chu Jeng Chiu Distinguished Scientist in Surgical Research" fund supporting the pursuit of excellence in surgical research at McGill University, c/o The Montreal General Hospital Foundation (E6-129 - 1650 Cedar Ave., Montreal QC Canada H3G 1A4, Tel: 514-934-8230, https:/ /www.mghfoundation.com); or a charity close to your own heart.