Ronald J. Stoney, M.D. is emeritus professor of surgery at UCSF, where he was associated with Drs. Jack Wylie and Bill Ehrenfeld in the practice of vascular surgery for over three decades.

Dr. Stoney joined the UCSF faculty as an Assistant Professor of Surgery in 1966, was promoted to the rank of  Associate Professor in 1973, and then to full Professor in 1980. Dr. Stoney retired in 2000 and was named Emeritus Professor of Surgery.

Dr. Stoney has served as president of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, North American Chapter, and the Western Vascular Society.

A little more than 25 years ago, Dr. Stoney took a three-month sabbatical leave from his high pressure operating schedule at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and traveled to Australia to teach surgical techniques at the University of New South Wales medical school.

By the time he returned, he had dramatically altered the landscape of vascular medicine. Inspired by something he saw in an Australian hospital, Dr. Stoney perfected a now patented self-retaining surgical retractable system to improve efficiencies in the operating room. But more importantly, he made the bold decision to try to put vascular surgeons, himself included, out of business.

"It's the dream all dedicated doctors have, really," explains Dr.Stoney. "If you're serious about medicine and helping people, ideally you want to find cures or ways to prevent people from having the conditions that ultimately require surgery."

In 1982, he co-founded VascularCures - The Foundation for Accelerated Vascular Research (formerly known as the Pacific Vascular Research Foundation) to improve patient care and prevent death and disablity from vascular disease. Dr. Stoney has received numerous awards, including the Society of Vascular Surgery's Lifetime Achievement Award. He has lectured around the world, has published more than 100 book chapters and more than 150 peer-reviewed articles, and authored and co-authored more than a half dozen books and manuals on vascular medicine.