“Gore is launching into important new areas in the cardiac device field. I’m excited by the prospects of applying their differentiating technologies to innovative breakthrough devices physicians can use to provide meaningful long-term benefits to their patients,” Dr. Laschinger said.

In his new role, Dr. Laschinger will focus on advancing Gore’s portfolio and strategic investments in the structural heart space by advising on the clinical device development priorities and pipeline strategy, leading cross-industry collaborative efforts on medical and regulatory issues and reinforcing efforts to ensure the voice of the patient is heard throughout Gore’s Medical Products Division. He will be based in Gore’s Flagstaff, Ariz. office.

“Gore’s reputation for clinical excellence developed from its precise engineering of devices that improve life,” said David Abeyta, Leader of the Gore Medical Products Division. “As the pace of innovation increases, our physician partners and their patients stand to benefit immediately from Dr. Laschinger’s insights. His first-hand understanding of those audiences’ needs coupled with his regulatory experience will provide thoughtful guidance to better inform our development pipeline.”

A board-certified thoracic surgeon Dr. Laschinger practiced across both adult and pediatric cardiac surgery from 1990 to 2010. During that time, he practiced and held academic appointments at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Maryland, directing cardiac research laboratories at both.

At the FDA, Dr. Laschinger won multiple awards for medical device review and for consideration of patient populations, including recognition for incorporating a total product lifecycle approach to reviewing devices, and for ground-breaking collaborations with professional societies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that promoted innovative and comprehensive uses of national and international registries to strengthen the pre- and post-market infrastructure.

“This position with Gore is really the culmination of everything I’ve done from a clinical, teaching and regulatory perspective,” Dr. Laschinger said. “When medical device development is done right, it is truly all about the patients. Improving their outcomes has to be at the heart of everything we do as we innovate and iterate and bring important devices to market.”

Gore engineers and manufactures a range of cardiac medical devices, each building on a 40-year commitment to quality that has created a legacy of safety and efficacy recognized across the industry. These devices include the GORE® CARDIOFORM Occluder family, used to close certain types of holes in the heart, as well as GORE-TEX® Suture for chordae tendinae, GORE-TEX Vascular Grafts, and patches and membranes used in cardiovascular repair and reconstruction.*

*For complete indications and other important safety information for Gore commercial products referenced herein, refer to the applicable Instructions for Use (IFU).