Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Frederick Lough Selected to Direct the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences General Ronald H. Griffith Institute for Military Medical Professionalism

Bethesda, Maryland – Retired Army Colonel (Dr.) Frederick Lough, a cardiothoracic surgeon, has been selected to serve as the inaugural Director of the Griffith Institute at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).  

The General Ronald H. Griffith Institute was established in 2018 to advance the education of Military Medical Professionalism, having components of military medical leadership and leadership development, academic bioethics, and military medical history and law. It was named after General Ronald H. Griffith, a long-serving member of the University’s Board of Regents. A former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and one of the most effective combat commanders of his generation, Griffith was dedicated to enhancing USU’s role in military medical professionalism until his death in 2018. The Institute aims to develop health professionals and leaders throughout the Military Health System (MHS), fully preparing them to support the Armed Forces. 

Lough previously served as the Deputy Chair of Surgery at USU and as the Chief of Surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). In 2018, he was asked to establish and serve as the first director of the Department of Defense Medical Ethics Center at USU. He retired from the Army in 2020, and returns to serve in the distinguished role as the inaugural director of the Griffith Institute.  

“Dr. Lough is a remarkable choice to lead the Griffith Institute at USU. His education and experience in military medical leadership is unparalleled, and he will lead the Institute in advancing the education and scholarship of leader development, ethics, and professionalism,” said Dr. Richard Thomas, president of USU.  

After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy West Point, Lough was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He then completed Airborne and Ranger qualifications. After serving in the Corps of Engineers, he earned his medical degree from the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine. He completed his residencies in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he ultimately served as the Assistant Chief of the Cardiac Surgery Service. Following his years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, he became a member of and ultimately the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he performed or participated in 10,000 operations. Lough later became the Director of Cardiac Surgery at the GWU University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and simultaneously served as the Chief Medical Director of the GWU Hospital for more than two years.  

In 2007, Lough joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps Reserves and deployed twice to Afghanistan. 

In 2013, he returned to active duty and was assigned to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a cardiac surgeon. Since then, he has also served as the Deputy Chair of Surgery at USU and has served as the Chief of Surgery at WRNMMC.  In 2018, he was asked to establish and serve as the first Director of the Department of Defense Medical Ethics Center at USU. Dr. Lough retired from the U.S. Army in December 2020.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as the Director of the Griffith Institute at USU,” Lough said. “General Griffith was a superb soldier and valued member of the USU Board of Regents. His service to America was anchored by his integrity, his ethics, his leadership and his dedication to his profession. His example will guide our efforts to inspire and educate the faculty, staff and students at USU. I look forward to the challenges ahead and welcome new approaches to the advancement of leadership, ethics, and professional development.”

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About the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation’s federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. USU also has graduate programs in oral biology, biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research. The University’s research program covers a wide range of areas important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.edu.