Vancouver, BC, Canada (July 23, 2011) -- Dr. Asher Kimchi, Founder and Chairman of the International Academy of Cardiology (IAC) announced the winners of the 2011 IAC Awards at the 16th World Congress on Heart Disease held in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Dr. Kimchi, together with Co-Chairmen Dr. Jeffrey S. Borer and Dr. John A. Elefteriades, headed a committee of 145 of the world's top cardiologists and scientists that reviewed nominees from multiple countries. In addition to the IAC awards, the committee also named three Faculty to receive the Distinguished Fellowship Award. The International Academy of Cardiology has established five awards to honor the memory of distinguished colleagues who made a major contribution to Medicine and Cardiology and who were members of the faculty of previous International Academy of Cardiology meetings. As in previous years, a very prestigious Awards Committee comprised of 145 faculty members selected the recipients.

The following awards for 2011 were presented at the Opening Ceremony of the International Academy of Cardiology 16th World Congress on Heart Disease Annual Scientific Sessions 2011:

• The Walter Bleifeld Memorial Award for distinguished work in the field of Clinical Research to Dr. Maryl R. Johnson, Medical Director of Heart Failure and Transplantation, Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.
  
  
• The Albrecht Fleckenstein Memorial Award for distinguished work in the field of Basic Research to Prof. Dipak K. Das, Professor and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut, School of Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut.
  
  
• The Jan J. Kellermann Memorial Award for distinguished work in the field of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention to Prof. Nathan D. Wong, Professor and Director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program, Division of Cardiology at University of California, Irvine.
  
  
• The Hans-Peter Kyayenbuehl Memorial Award for distinguished work in the field of Research in Cardiac Function to Dr. Martin A. Alpert, Brent M. Parker Professor of Medicine, Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program and Director of Clinical Cardiology at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
  
  
• The Melvin L. Marcus Memorial Award for distinguished contribution as a Gifted Teacher to Dr. Michael H. Criqui, Distinguished Professor and Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and Distinguished Professor in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine.

The 2011 Distinguished Fellowship Awards were presented to three Faculty of the 16th World Congress on Heart Disease:

• Dr. Lewis C. Becker, Robert L. Levy Professor of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland
  
  
• Dr. Daniel S. Berman, Chief of Cardiac Imaging at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Professor of Imaging and Director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Program and the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California
  
  
• Dr. Bodh I. Jugdutt, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Staff Cardiologist and Cardiovascular Researcher at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

The Chairman of the 16th World Congress on Heart Disease, Dr. Asher Kimchi, is an internationally recognized and respected cardiologist, a former flight surgeon in the Israeli Air Force and the founder and chairman of the International Academy of Cardiology. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles. He is the Vice Clinical Chief of Cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and the Medical Director of the Preventive and consultative Cardiology Center of Excellence at Cedars-Sinai. He is the Past-President of the American Heart Association, Los Angeles County Division.

According to Dr. Kimchi, "Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death and disability in the developed countries and a major cause of human death in the other developing countries. There are thousands of scientists and clinicians around the globe who are committed to the fight against heart disease and who are trying to prevent and cure it. " Dr. Kimchi continues, "The International Academy of Cardiology believes that these efforts can be facilitated by true international cooperation, and it is dedicated to the advancement of global research in cardiovascular medicine through the support of scientific meetings and publications."

The Opening Ceremony and Awards Presentations were chaired by Dr. John A. Elefteriades, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Yale University and Yale New-Haven Hospital; Member, Scientific Executive Committee; Chairman, Section of Valvular Heart Disease for the IAC and Dr. Jeffrey S. Borer, Professor of Medicine and Chairman, Department of Medicine; Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, SUNY, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn NY; Member, Scientific Executive Committee; Chairman, Section of Valvular Heart Disease for the IAC.

• Prof. Naranjan S. Dhalla, Distinguished Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
  
  
• Dr. Gordon Fung, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine and Director of Cardiology Services UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, San Francisco, CA; Member, Scientific Advisory Board and Past President of the American College of Cardiology, California Chapter
  
  
• Dr. James D. Marsh, Nolan Professor and Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas

The Fifth H.J.C. Swan Memorial Lecture given at the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, July 23rd, was delivered by Dr. Jay L. Mehta, Director, Molecular Cardiology, Professor of Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics and Stebbins Chair in Cardiology. His presentation was entitled, "Angiogenesis in Atherosclerosis; Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets."

Dr. Asher Kimchi founded the International Academy of Cardiology 22 years ago and this year marks the 16th World Congress on Heart Disease. Dr. Kimchi comments, "The World Congress on Heart Disease is presented by the International Academy of Cardiology and is dedicated to the advancement of global research in cardiovascular medicine through the support of scientific meetings and publications." The World Congress is attended by physicians and scientists worldwide, and provides a forum for an innovative and comprehensive overview of the latest research developments in cardiovascular medicine, primarily in the areas of molecular and cellular cardiology, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery.

“Eight hundred (800) distinguished cardiologists and scientists from 59 countries took part in this year's Congress. Papers were presented in the form of plenary sessions, symposia and posters and included superb scientific material that was carefully selected by the Scientific Abstract Review committee from 815 abstracts submitted for presentation at the meeting. These five-hundred-thirty (530) studies, originating from laboratories in 48 countries, assured that the meeting was a major scientific event” said Dr. Kimchi.

The International Academy of Cardiology, 17th World Congress on Heart Disease, Annual Scientific Sessions 2012, will be held in Toronto, ON, Canada, July 27-30, 2012 (http://www.cardiologyonline.com).

                        
Left to Right:  Dr. Daniel S. Berman, Dr. Nathan D. Wong, Dr. Maryl R. Johnson, Dr. Michael H. Criqui,
Dr. Jeffrey S. Borer (Awards Chairman), Dr. Asher Kimchi (Founder), Dr. John A. Elefteriades,
Dr. Martin A. Alpert, Dr. Lewis C. Becker, Dr. Bodh I. Jugdutt, and Dr. Dipak K. Das

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Photo credit: Orly Halevy