Ian Penn
Vancouver General, Canada
At TCTAP 2025, Dr. Ian Penn, MD, MFA (Vancouver General, Canada), will present a compelling exploration of the intersection between art and science, framed through problem-solving. His journey from leading innovations in interventional cardiology to creating thought-provoking visual art embodies the belief that transformative solutions arise not from chasing answers but from deeply understanding the problem.
Describing science and art as the “Yin and Yang of understanding,” Dr. Penn emphasizes how these disciplines complement each other, grounded in curiosity, creativity, and a shared commitment to exploration. This unified mindset of “loving the problem” has guided his approach to stent design and artistic expression. Dr. Penn contributed to advances in coronary bifurcation stenting, addressing the technical dilemma of balancing stent deliverability with complete lesion coverage. Collaborating with leaders like Marty Leon and Richard Schatz, he later extended these principles to neurovascular interventions, drawing inspiration from natural forms such as feathers to tackle the complexities of bifurcation aneurysms.
The lecture will also explore how a crisis can serve as a powerful catalyst for reinvention. An occupational spinal disease, a common affliction among interventional cardiologists, ended Dr. Penn’s time in the lab. Dr. Penn’s transition into art school began a second journey. Through a problem-solving lens, he explored new media and storytelling forms. In portraiture, he addressed the challenge of authentically capturing identity by engaging deeply with subjects, recording conversations, and creating animated images that distilled their essence. In landscape work, particularly during COVID-19 isolation, he painted clouds from a fixed vantage point, capturing the emotional weight of the pandemic, political upheaval, and global conflict reflected in the ever-changing sky (Figure 1).
His artistic pursuits also found purpose in public service. Through the IDEA award, he helped bridge medicine and art by integrating creative works into clinical environments, demonstrating art’s therapeutic role and potential to humanize healthcare spaces.
Dr. Penn’s work reminds us that innovation emerges through persistent engagement with complexity. By embracing both the analytical rigor of science and the emotional depth of art, his career demonstrates how a shared problem-solving ethos can advance technology, deepen empathy, and transform practice.
30 Years Special Keynote Lectures
Thursday, April 24, 11:35 AM-11:59 AM
Main Arena, Level 3
Edited by
Soo Yeon An, MD
Asan Medical Center, Korea (Republic of)