Dr. Duran is one of the leading cardiac surgeons in the world specializing in heart valve reconstruction and replacement. He is a pioneer in the use of natural tissues for heart valve surgery.

From 1954 to 1958, after medical school at Madrid University, he trained in general and thoracic surgery at Hopitaux de Paris under Professor Dubost. From 1959 to 1967, Dr. Duran studied under Professor Allison at London and Oxford Universities, and completed Ph.D. requirements with research work on the transplantation of heart valves. This research led to the first successful human aortic valve implantation performed in London in 1962 by Mr. Donald R. Ross and the first porcine aortic valve transplantation in Paris in 1965 by Dr. J. P. Binet.

Since 1967, Dr. Duran has had teaching and clinical appointments at several University medical centers. In 1976, he advanced mitral valve reconstruction techniques with the invention of the "Duran Ring." The Duran Ring is a flexible, prosthetic device that is sewn to the supportive framework of a weak and dilated heart valve to provide needed support.

Dr. Duran was the Chairman of the Cardiovascular Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia prior to accepting his current positions of President/CEO of The International Heart Institute of Montana Foundation and Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences at The University of Montana.

A member of 31 international medical societies, Dr. Duran also participates on the editorial boards of ten medical journals. His work, particularly in valve surgery, has led to more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, 450 professional papers presented at scientific meetings and 33 chapters in medical texts.

Dr. Duran's wife, Begonia Gometza, is also a physician, and they have seven children who live all over the world.