Timothy Pennel

Timothy Pennel is the Chris Barnard Chair and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Surgical Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation at Groote Schuur Hospital. His clinical practice focuses on pulmonary endarterectomy, pericardiectomy, and advanced heart and lung disease.

Professor Pennel obtained his medical degree from Stellenbosch University in 2003 and completed his cardiothoracic training at UCT, where he concurrently earned a Master’s in Cardiothoracic Surgery, PhD in vascular graft tissue engineering and was admitted to the College of Medicine of South Africa, FC Cardio (SA) in 2014.

He is contributing several international guideline committees, including the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Statement on Pleural Tuberculosis and the WHO Guidelines on Pulmonary Hydatid Disease, and currently co-authors the South African Statement on Pneumothorax. His academic interests span surgical innovation, and cardiopulmonary disease in resource-limited settings.