Dr. Eric J. Topol Presented with 2011 TCT Career Achievement Award

Scripps Health’s Eric J. Topol, MD, a world-renowned cardiologist and physician-scientist, was presented the 2011 TCT Career Achievement Award in a ceremony held today during the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. The award is given each year to a pioneer in the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), sponsor of the TCT symposium.

Dr. Topol is the chief academic officer of Scripps Health and leads the flagship NIH-supported Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). He is also a professor of genomics at The Scripps Research Institute and is a co-founder and the vice-chairman of the West Wireless Health Institute.

“In 2006, Scripps formally announced at the TCT symposium that Eric Topol would be joining Scripps to lead the newly created STSI and genomic medicine program,” said Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO, Scripps Health. “And now, just five years later, we are very proud that Eric’s vast medical and research accomplishments have earned him TCT’s highest honor.”

One of the leading cardiologists in the United States, Dr. Topol spearheaded the discovery of multiple genes that increase a person’s risk of heart attacks and pioneered the development of critical heart care therapies now used in daily practice – therapies such as clot busters, anti-platelet agents and angioplasty devices. He has led more than 15 international, multicenter research trials involving 40 countries and more than 200,000 patients. He is also a leader in the movement to modernize medical treatment through wireless digital innovative technologies.

TCT directors, Martin B. Leon, MD, and Gregg W. Stone, MD, jointly presented the award, which recognizes pioneering work in interventional medicine and extraordinary talent and dedication in both research and clinical endeavors.

“We are proud to honor Dr. Topol with the TCT 2011 Career Achievement Award,” said Dr. Stone. “As a clinical trialist and educator, Dr. Topol has set the benchmark to which we all aspire. His ground-breaking research in acute myocardial infarction and interventional pharmacology has directly benefitted millions of patients with cardiovascular disease. And now, his singular devotion to cardiovascular genomics promises to open a window to novel approaches for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.”

“Dr. Topol’s current work in personalized medicine and digital technology positions him as a leader in the movement to modernize medical treatment — creating new, more effective ways to treat patients,” Dr. Leon added. “His ground-breaking research in cardiology and genomics has provided more treatment and prevention options for patients and transformed our understanding of how genetics can determine a person’s risk of heart disease.”

Previously, Dr. Topol served as chair of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, where his cardiovascular program was ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for patient care and research for 12 years. In 2011, the University of Michigan initiated the Eric Topol Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine in his honor. He is the co-author of newly released “Textbook of Interventional Cardiology” (6th ed), and his upcoming book, “The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care,” which addresses the convergence of the digital revolution and medicine, will be released in January 2012.

Research led by Dr. Topol has led to the discovery of key genes associated with heart attack that has been recognized twice as a Top 10 research advances by the American Heart Association and by Time magazine in 2010 as a top medical breakthrough of the year. He is among the top 10 most-cited biomedical researchers in medicine in the past decade by the Institute of Scientific Information.

“Eric has pioneered the development of key therapies over the past two decades that are now used to help our patients each day,” said Van Gorder. “His recent focus on genomics illustrates his clear vision of medicine’s future and will undoubtedly create important new breakthroughs that will further benefit our patients.”

About Scripps Health

Learn more about Scripps Health, a nonprofit integrated health system based in San Diego, Calif.