Pediatric Goal Directed Perfusion – Evolving DO2 Thresholds for Optimal Outcomes

Brad Kulat, CCP, LP, FPP, Chief Perfusionist, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Brad Kulat, CCP, LP, FPP has worked in the field of perfusion for over 33 years, 32 of those years as a pediatric perfusionist at Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Brad also serves as a clinical instructor educating perfusion students from Rush University of Chicago, Midwestern University, and Lipscomb University in their pediatric clinical rotations. He is passionate about maintaining high perfusion educational and safety standards and has served on multiple committees and professional boards, such as the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP), where he was President from 2019-2022; Commissioner for the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (AC-PE); and Commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Brad founded and served as President of the Chicagoland Perfusion Foundation and is an active lecturer at numerous national and international conferences regarding published experience in pediatric perfusion, perfusion circuit miniaturization, minimizing exposure to banked blood during congenital cardiac surgery and VAD modifications for the pediatric population.

Filip De Somer, Ph.D., CCP, University Hospital Gent, Belgium (Session 1)
Filip De Somer, Ph.D., CCP, is an EBCP certified Belgian perfusionist and currently the Director of Perfusion at the University Hospital Ghent. He has served as Professor in Perfusion Technology at the University of Ghent. Dr. De Somer is Section Editor for the International Journal of Artificial Organs and member of the editorial board of ASAIO, Perfusion and JECT. His main interests are blood-material interaction, application of extracorporeal techniques during surgery, physiology of extracorporeal techniques, LVAD technology and blood handling.

Stephen Horton, Ph.D., CCP, Perfusion Director, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (Session 2)
Stephen Horton, Ph.D., CCP, has worked in the field of cardiac surgery for almost 40 years over which time he implemented the ECMO & VAD programs at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. While pioneering new developments in ECLS, this has been recognized internationally (published) as creating the modern ECMO system. His Ph.D. on ECLS & inflammation won the University prize and he has been awarded best scientific paper four times at national meetings. His work on nitric oxide administration during pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass won the American Heart Association prize and now is a multi-center international trial. He has setup several units in the US, Europe & Asia, while maintaining teaching rites at Hong Kong University. He has authored ten chapters on ECMO, VAD & ECLS with over 50 peer reviewed journal publications in the field of ECLS. Stephen started a collaboration with Melbourne University in 2013 after receiving Finnans Gift to develop Ph.D. students in designing and building a neuromonitoring device.

Carol Ann Rosenberg, BA, MBA, CCP, Principal Clinical Specialist, Terumo Cardiovascular
Carol Ann Rosenberg, BA, MBA, CCP, is a Principal Clinical Specialist at Terumo Cardiovascular where she is involved in research, development and delivering educational material to clinicians related to Terumo Cardiovascular products. She has served on the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion for the last 11 years and is currently the Vice-President. She earned a B.A. from Temple University, an M.B.A. from Ashworth University, and a Certificate of Perfusion from Cooper Hospital. She has been a CCP since 1997. She maintains her certified clinical perfusion certificate and specializes in pediatric perfusion at the University of Virginia Medical Center.