Alden H. Harken, MD

Biography

Alden H. Harken, M.D. is Professor Emeritus of Surgery in the UCSF - East Bay Surgery Program. Dr. Harken is Board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. In 2005 and 2006, surgical residents voted Dr. Harken the Julia Burke Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Recently, Dr. Harkin was honored with the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of University Surgeons (SUS).

After completing his undergraduate work at Harvard College in 1963, Dr. Harken graduated from Case Western Reserve Medical School in 1967.  He completed surgical and pediatric cardiovascular residencies at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and the Boston Children's Medical Hospital in 1973; then joined the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C., where he was an investigator gaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. 

In July 1976, Dr. Harken accepted a position at the University of Pennsylvania in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery where he became well known as a dedicated and highly respected scientist, warmly regarded for his friendly and dynamic personality. 

During his eight years at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Harken worked in all areas of academic medicine, authored scientific papers, was awarded NIH grants and was advanced to Professor of Surgery.  He became a specialist in the surgical correction of cardiac arrhythmias. 

In 1983 Dr. Harken accepted the position as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and for the next two decades he was a vigorous advocate of surgical residency training, he promoted multiple surgical programs and served as the Principle Investigator of Colorado's NIH Trauma Program Project Grant and Surgical Research Training Grant. 

Dr. Harken has authored or coauthored 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts.  He is a past Director of both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, a Regent of the American College of Surgeons, past President of the Halsted Society (1994-95), the Society of University Surgeons (1985-86) and the Association of Academic Surgery (1983-84).  He has served on NIH Surgery Study Sections since 1985 and chaired an NIH Fellowship Study Section.  He is a member of the American  Surgical Association, the Society of University Surgeons, the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the Southern Surgical Association.  He also serves on the editorial board for nine scientific journals.