• Vinciane Gaussin, PhD, was named chief scientific officer of Cardio3 BioSciences (Braine L’alleud, Belgium). Most recently, Gaussin was an assistant professor in the department of cell biology and molecular medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Cardio3 BioSciences is a biotechnology company focused on regenerating heart muscle via cardiac lineage-committed stem cell therapy.

• Pete Yonkman, who currently serves as president of Cook Urological (Spencer, Indiana), has been named executive VP of sales and marketing for the Cook Group (Bloomington, Indiana) effective immediately. Yonkman joined Cook in 2001 and was named president of Cook Urological in August 2005. Cook Medical makes interventional devices.

• Steven Galson, MD was named Acting Surgeon General, effective Oct. 1. Since joining FDA (Washington) in 2001, Galson has provided leadership to one of FDA’s busiest centers—the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). Galson will replace Ken Moritsugu in an official change-of-command ceremony.

• Haemonetics (Braintree, Massachusetts) reported Tom Lawlor’s resignation as president of the company’s patient division. Haemonetics is a healthcare company specializing in providing blood management solutions.

• Hospital Corporation of America (HCA; Nashville, Tennessee) reported that Far West division president Tom May will retire effective June 2008. May joined HCA in 1995 as CEO of the Good Samaritan Health System, when the company purchased the not-for-profit health system and its three hospitals and various health services companies. HCA owns and operates about 179 hospitals and approximately 104 freestanding surgery centers in 21 states, the UK and Switzerland.

• Micrus Endovascular (San Jose, California) said that its board has named John Kilcoyne to the position of chairman and has promoted Robert Stern to COO. Kilcoyne, who had served as Micrus’ president/CEO and director since 2004, will continue to serve as the company’s CEO. Stern, who had served as executive VP and CFO since 2004, will continue to oversee the company’s financial operations until a new CFO is named. Micrus makes both implantable and disposable medical devices used in the treatment of neurovascular diseases.

• Sally Lee was named the new executive officer of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Lee joined NIGMS as an administrative technician in 1988. NIGMS, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports research that increases understanding of life processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

• Nodality (South San Francisco, California) reported the appointment of David Parkinson, MD, the former senior medical officer at Biogen Idec, as its first president/CEO. Nodality is an emerging diagnostics company.

• Daniel Cole was named the new chairman of the board of OmniSonics Medical Technologies (Wilmington, Massachusetts). Cole is a founding partner with Spray Venture Partners. OmniSonics Medical Technologies makes medical devices for occlusive vascular disease.

• Dennis McGuffie was named VP of audit services of Tenet Healthcare (Dallas). McGuffie returns to Tenet after spending the past eight years as VP of audit services at Triad Hospitals.