Yusuf receives highest honour from European Society of Cardiology

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Yusuf_Salim2.jpg” caption=”Dr. Salim Yusuf is a professor of medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. File photo.”]The European Society of Cardiology has awarded its highest honour, the Gold Medal, to Dr. Salim Yusuf for his outstanding contribution to the development of cardiology.

Yusuf is the first Canadian to receive this award, announced during the opening ceremony of the ESC Annual Congress in Munich last weekend.

Yusuf is a professor of medicine for the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, as well as the vice-president of research and chief scientific officer at Hamilton Health Sciences and director of the Population Health Research Institute.

He has led a distinguished career as a cardiologist, epidemiologist and world-renowned researcher in cardiovascular diseases and prevention.

His involvement in developing the concept of large, simple trials and meta-analysis ultimately changed the way that research is conducted around the world today. Landmark studies include the HOPE, OASIS, INTERHEART and CURE trials as well as populations-based studies in diverse ethnic groups in Canada, including one of the world's largest studies involving 52 countries. He currently works with investigators from 1,500 centres in 79 countries.

Yusuf is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, holds a Heart and Stroke Foundations of Ontario research chair, and has been a senior scientist of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

“I'm privileged to be working with one of the finest teams in cardiovascular research in the world. Along with my fellow investigators here in Hamilton, we have a network of colleagues and friends in 79 countries,” said Yusuf. “It is this collective team of researchers on every inhabited continent that has achieved so much to prevent cardiovascular disease and mitigate its consequences. Therefore, this credit rightfully belongs to this whole team.”

Yusuf has played an integral role in mentoring and supervising young inspiring researchers over the years. Having published more than 500 articles, he is the most cited medical researcher in Canada and among the top 20 cited scientists in clinical medicine in the world.

He has received several prestigious research awards, including the Prix Galien in 2001, the Lucian Award, the Paul Wood Medal in 2003, the Population Health Lecturer of the European Society in 2004 and the International Lecturer award of the American College of Cardiology in 2006. He was a finalist for the Michael Smith Prize in 2005, the Population Science Lecturer of the European Society of Cardiology and the Ancel Keys lecturer of the American Heart Association in 2007.

“Dr. Yusuf is a worthy recipient of the European Society's top award,” said Dr. John Kelton, dean and vice-president, Faculty of Health Sciences. “The many honours he has received are indicative of his leadership and extraordinary contributions to this field of clinical research.”

“Hamilton is very proud of what Dr. Yusuf has accomplished during his distinguished career,” said Murray Martin, president and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences. “His innovative work is helping to improve the heart health of people all over the world.”