PostHole
Compose
Login
The Life Scientific: Sir Magdi Yacoub
What does it take to earn the nickname, ‘The Leonardo da Vinci of heart surgery’?That's the moniker given to today's guest - a man who pioneered high-profile and often controversial procedures, but also helped drive huge medical progress; carrying out around 2,000 heart transplants and 400 dual heart-lung transplants during his 60-year career.Sir Magdi Yacoub is Emeritus Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Imperial College London, and Director of Research at Harefield Hospital’s Magdi Yacoub Institute.
Inspired by a surgeon father and impacted by the tragic early death of his aunt from a heart condition, his medical career includes various surgical firsts alongside numerous research projects, to further our understanding of and ability to treat heart disease. He headed up the teams that discovered it is possible to reverse heart failure, and that successfully grew part of a human heart valve from stem cells for the first time.But it hasn't always been plain sailing. At times, his work – such as early, unsuccessful transplant attempts, or using a baboon as a life-support system for a baby – attracted serious public criticism.Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Sir Magdi reflects on the highs and lows of his cardio career, and offers his advice to the next generation of surgeons and researchers hoping to make their mark in heart medicine.Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
Reversion for World Service by Minnie Harrop
Accessibility links
BBC World Service
Discovery
- Discovery Home
- Episodes
- Galleries
- Podcast
- Join us on Facebook
Main content
Listen now
The Life Scientific: Sir Magdi Yacoub
Discovery
Jim Al-Khalili talks to Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub about his 60-year career in surgery, pioneering new procedures and conducting vital research into transplants.
What does it take to earn the nickname, ‘The Leonardo da Vinci of heart surgery’?
That's the moniker given to today's guest - a man who pioneered high-profile and often controversial procedures, but also helped drive huge medical progress; carrying out around 2,000 heart transplants and 400 dual heart-lung transplants during his 60-year career.
Sir Magdi Yacoub is Emeritus Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Imperial College London, and Director of Research at Harefield Hospital’s Magdi Yacoub Institute.
Inspired by a surgeon father and impacted by the tragic early death of his aunt from a heart condition, his medical career includes various surgical firsts alongside numerous research projects, to further our understanding of and ability to treat heart disease. He headed up the teams that discovered it is possible to reverse heart failure, and that successfully grew part of a human heart valve from stem cells for the first time.
But it hasn't always been plain sailing. At times, his work – such as early, unsuccessful transplant attempts, or using a baboon as a life-support system for a baby – attracted serious public criticism.
Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Sir Magdi reflects on the highs and lows of his cardio career, and offers his advice to the next generation of surgeons and researchers hoping to make their mark in heart medicine.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
Reversion for World Service by Minnie Harrop
###
####
Higher quality (128kbps)
Lower quality (64kbps)
Available now
26 minutes
Last on
Mon 8 Sep 2025
00:32GMT
BBC World Service except Europe and the Middle East
More episodes
Previous
The Life Scientific: Claudia de Rham
Next
The Life Scientific: Tori Herridge
See all episodes from Discovery
Featured
####
Broadcasts
Mon 1 Sep 2025
19:32GMT
BBC World Service
Mon 1 Sep 2025
22:32GMT
BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East
Tue 2 Sep 2025
04:32GMT
BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
Space
The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe
The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry
[The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry]
A pair of scientific sleuths answer your perplexing questions. Ask them anything!
Podcast
Discovery
Explorations in the world of science.
Similar programmes
By genre:
- Factual > Science & Nature
By format:
Magazines & Reviews
[BBC World Service homepage]
News in more than 40 languages