The life of Vivien Thomas is an inspiring story of an African-
American pioneer who overcame the barriers imposed by a
segregated society. With no formal medical training, he
developed techniques and tools that would lead to today's modern
heart surgery. In operating rooms all over the world, great
surgeons who received their training from Vivien Thomas are
performing life-saving surgical procedures. We honor his legacy
with the naming of the Vivien Thomas High School Research
Program at the Morehouse School of Medicine. The Vivien Thomas
Research Program for high school students was established to
provide experiences in the research laboratories at the
Morehouse School of Medicine. Students conduct research for six
weeks under the direction of a medical school faculty member and
learn the content, process and methodology involved in inquiry
science. At the end of this summer experience, students present
their research findings to the faculty and staff at MSM. Vivien
T. Thomas was born in New Iberia, Louisiana