How to Build a World-Class Research Program: Lessons from Dr. Thomas Waggoner

A look into how Dr. Waggoner took a new TAVR program and transformed it into a top-tier research hub from scratch!


Dr. Tom Wagner, Director of Structural Heart at Tucson Medical Center, shares his journey in building a research-first culture from scratch. In this conversation, he discusses:
Why research is a differentiator in regional cardiology
How he grew from zero research to 70+ active clinical trials
The inflection point when a program takes off (around year 5)
The importance of volume, outcomes, and clean data for sponsor trust
Practical insights on staffing: from one CRC to a full research hierarchy
Why perseverance, weekends, and attention to detail are the real “secret sauce”
How research fuels both patient access to novel devices and institutional reputation

Whether you’re a structural cardiologist, program director, or part of a valve team, this discussion offers a roadmap to building research infrastructure that benefits both patients and institutions.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & guest background
01:10 – Starting with zero research & 50 TAVRs/year
02:00 – Why research matters for program growth
03:30 – Research as a differentiator in regional markets
04:10 – Perseverance: the real “secret sauce”
05:30 – Balancing call, STEMI, and research demands
06:20 – The 5-year inflection point of growth
07:00 – From 2 trials to 70: scaling the research portfolio
07:45 – Importance of high volume and outcomes
08:15 – Why clean data builds sponsor trust
09:30 – Don’t overreach: starting with the right trial
10:20 – Building staff: from one CRC to a full hierarchy
12:00 – Lessons learned from early trial missteps
13:00 – Closing insights on building lasting programs


#StructuralHeart #CardiologyResearch #TAVR #HighRiskPCI #InterventionalCardiology #ClinicalTrials #CathLab #ValveTeam #ResearchProgram #MurmurMD


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