Eric J. Topol, M.D., Elected to Institute of Medicine of the
National Academies
CLEVELAND, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ --
The Institute of Medicine of the National
Academies today announced the election of Eric J. Topol, M.D., to its
prestigious membership. Dr. Topol, Chief Academic Officer of the Cleveland
Clinic and Provost of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, of Case
Western Reserve University, was selected on the basis of his professional
achievement and his demonstrated interest, concern and involvement with
problems and critical issues affecting public health.
The Institute of Medicine, established in 1970 as a unit of the National
Academy of Sciences, is broadly based in the biomedical sciences and health
professions, as well as aspects of the behavioral and social sciences,
administration, law, the physical sciences and engineering. It is concerned
with the protection and advancement of the health professions and sciences, the
promotion of research and development pertinent to health, and the improvement
of healthcare. Members of the Institute are expected to maintain and exemplify
the highest standard of scientific integrity.
"Eric Topol is an extraordinary clinician, scientist and teacher," said Toby
Cosgrove, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cleveland Clinic.
"His appointment to the Institute of Medicine is well-deserved recognition of
his significant efforts to unlock the secrets of heart disease and improve
people's lives."
Dr. Topol, who also is Chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at
The Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Case Western
Reserve University, has extensive professional and academic achievements. He is
Program Director for the NIH-supported Specialized Center of Clinically
Oriented Research (SCCOR) on the molecular basis of coronary artery disease.
Dr. Topol has been elected to the American Association of Physicians, the
American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the Johns Hopkins Society of
Scholars. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American
College of Physicians, and the European Society of Cardiology. He has been
recognized by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) for being in the
top 10 (No. 8) of cited biomedical researchers in medicine (1993-2003), and he
is ranked first by Science Watch among authors of high impact papers in
cardiovascular research (1993-2003).
Dr. Topol's work on the genomics of coronary disease led to the discovery of
the first gene mutation (MEF2A deletion) linked to coronary disease and heart
attack (Science, 2003). His work on the genetics of coronary heart disease has
also received recognition with the Silver Medal and Gruentzig Lecturer of the
European Society of Cardiology (2004), as a top 10 research advance by the
American Heart Association, and as the Clinical Research Innovator Award of the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in 2001. The cardiology program he directs in
Cleveland has been ranked No. 1 in the United States by U.S. News & World
Report for the past 10 years.
Dr. Topol has served as chairman and principal investigator for more than 15
international multi-center randomized clinical trials, including the five GUSTO
trials, the largest heart attack studies ever conducted, and many others, with
cumulatively more than 200,000 patients enrolled. He was the first physician to
administer recombinant t-PA, 2 different platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa
inhibitors (abciximab and eptifibatide), and a novel anticoagulant
(bivalirudin) to patients with coronary artery disease. The results of these
large-scale trials, involving 40 countries around the world, have substantially
changed our approach to patients with heart attack and coronary artery disease.
Currently Dr. Topol serves on the editorial board for more than 20 peer-
reviewed medical publications including Circulation, Journal of the American
College of Cardiology, American Journal of Cardiology, Heart and the European
Heart Journal. He has created more than 900 original publications and edited 18
books, including the Textbook of Interventional Cardiology (1st through 4th
editions) and the Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, the third edition now in
preparation.
Dr. Topol lives in Chagrin Falls with his wife, Susan. They are the parents of
two children, Sarah and Evan.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-
profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and
hospital care with research and education. The Cleveland Clinic was founded in
1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient
care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S.
News & World Report consistently names The Cleveland Clinic as one of the
nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey.
Approximately 1,200 full-time salaried physicians at The Cleveland Clinic and
Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and
subspecialties. In 2003, patients came for treatment from every state and
nearly 90 countries. The Cleveland Clinic website address is
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/ .
DATASOURCE: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
CONTACT: Alicia Sokol, +1-216-445-9661, or Lisa Murphy, +1-216-444-7935,
both of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/