Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) today announced the appointment of Dr. Craig Thompson as senior vice president and chief medical officer for the medtech giant’s interventional cardiology business.

Thompson hopes to "further develop the technology pipeline and educational platforms to deliver solutions for patients with cardiovascular illness worldwide," he said in prepared remarks.

Thompson, whose new position is effective immediately, was previously the director of Invasive Cardiology & Vascular Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital as well as associate professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.

"Craig is a very experienced interventional cardiologist who is an important addition to our clinical team, increasing our ability to innovate medical solutions that provide unique value to physicians and patients," Boston Scientific executive vice president and global chief medical officer Dr. Keith Dawkins said in prepared remarks.

While at Yale-New Haven, Thompson helped the hospital develop a cardiovascular device development program between Yale and University College in London, according to his bio. His "primary academic interests" include development of cardiovascular devices to fill unmet needs, combined biologic-and device-based therapies and catheter-based techniques for treating advanced cardiovascular disease.

Boston Scientific started strong on Wall Street today and was trading upward by 3% by about 1 p.m., when shares were going for $12.28 apiece. BSX shares have gained 2.2% since the start of the year.