When Gov. John Bel Edwards announced at a late October news conference the development of a new bariatric research and treatment center at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, much of the attention centered on the world-renowned surgeon who would head the new facility: Dr. Phil Schauer.
Schauer is one of the top bariatric surgeons in the world, having pioneered several cutting-edge gastric surgery techniques in the 1990s that are widely used today.
But although Schauer was the man of the hour that day, the man who deserved much of the credit for making the deal happen was Pennington Executive Director Dr. John Kirwan, a 62-year-old rock-star researcher in his own right who is working on a cure for Type 2 diabetes.
It was Kirwan who conceived the bariatric surgery center in the first place, and it was his reputation and personal relationship with Schauer that helped lure the famed surgeon to Louisiana.
Kirwan brought together the state, LSU, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Pennington’s foundation and other key stakeholders in a few short months to partner on making the bariatric surgery center and successful recruitment of Schauer a reality, and he has bigger plans for the facility’s future. Read Business Report’s latest cover story about Kirwan for more.
