In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, Dr. Cherie Erkmen and Dr. Sara Pereira sit down with Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku of the University of Toronto, a global leader in minimally invasive thoracic oncology, to explore a career shaped by discipline, innovation, and cross-cultural experience.

He reflects on his surgical training in Japan’s rigorous, hierarchical system and his academic journey in North America, sharing how these environments informed his approach to patient care and research. Dr. Yasufuku discusses the development of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), from early prototypes to worldwide adoption, transforming lung cancer staging. He also offers insights on perseverance, leadership, mentorship, and the future of increasingly minimally invasive, patient-centered care.

In this episode, hosts Dr. Sara Pereira and Dr. Cherie Erkmen sit down with guest Dr. Stephanie Chang, Surgical Director of Lung Transplant at NYU Langone Transplant Institute, to explore how a childhood dream of teaching evolved into a career in surgical precision and innovation. She reflects on the moment a college biology class sparked her fascination with CABG, the mentorship that shaped her during training at Washington University in St. Louis, and her role in performing the first fully robotic lung transplant at NYU—while sharing insights on leadership, mentorship, and balancing life beyond the operating room.

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.