Domingo Liotta University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. 1962-64: Advanced Research Fellow of the American Heart Association. 1963-69: Co-Director of the Baylor-Rice Artificial Heart Program shared with Michael E. DeBakey and C. William Hall. Houston, Texas. 1964-71: Assistant Professor of Surgery, Baylor University College of Medicine, Chairman of the Department: Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, Houston, Texas. 1970-71: Director of Surgical Research, Texas Heart Institute, Chief of Cardiovascular Service Denton A. Cooley, Houston, Texas. 1971-74: Surgeon-in-Chief, Carlos Durand Public Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1971-90: Surgeon-in-Chief, Service of Cardiovascular Surgery, Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1973-74: Secretary of State for Public Health, Argentina.
Human artificial chromosome resulted in a human artificial chromosome that is mitotically stable. 21HAC was also able to be transferred into cells from a variety of species (mice, chickens, humans). Using 21HAC, researchers were able to insert a herpes simplex virus- thymidine kinase coding gene into tumor cells. This "suicide gene" is required to activate many antiviral medications. These targeted tumor cells were successfully, and selectively, terminated by the antiviral drug ganciclovir in a population including healthy cells. This research opens a variety of opportunities for using HACs in gene therapy. In 2011, researchers formed a human artificial chromosome by truncating chromosome 14.