Dr Umer M. Darr

Chief Medical Officer, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan

Dr Umer M. Darr serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at the Aga Khan University (AKU), a role he officially assumed in 2026. As an internationally recognised cardiothoracic surgeon and healthcare leader, he directs the hospital’s clinical operations and strategic medical initiatives. He oversees a multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, and clinical staff across the Main Campus in Karachi and its network of off-campus hospitals, medical centres, and laboratories.

Bringing a wealth of global expertise, Dr Darr provides strategic leadership focused on advancing clinical quality and patient safety, strengthening healthcare systems and improving operational performance. His mandate is central to advancing the institution’s commitment to excellence in patient care, education and academic medicine.

An AKU alumnus who graduated with honours in 1992, Dr Darr returns to the institution following a distinguished international career. He most recently served as Professor and Chair of Cardiac Surgery and Chief Quality Officer at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. His previous leadership roles across the Yale-New Haven Health System include Director of Cardiac Surgery at the Bridgeport Campus, Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Programme, and Surgical Director of the Atrial Fibrillation Programme. In Pakistan, he also served as a Founding Member and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Tabba Heart Institute in Karachi.

Dr Darr’s executive experience is supported by a robust academic and clinical foundation. Board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, his extensive training in complex aortic and heart valve surgery spans the Yale University School of Medicine, the University of Connecticut, and Toronto General Hospital.

Alongside his clinical roles, he holds an MBA from Brandeis University, served as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Yale University School of Medicine, and has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.