The past 35 years has seen the rise of Dr. Salim Yusuf as a universally celebrated cardiologist and epidemiologist whose work has extensively shaped the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The Arrigo Recordati Prize recognizes Dr. Yusuf for his “outstanding and innovative contributions in researching the secondary prevention and risk reduction strategies for patients of cardiovascular diseases”. In awarding the prize to Dr. Yusuf, “the judges noted his unique and exceptional contributions to studies and clinical trials in secondary prevention, the impact of his works on development of new strategies for risk reduction in subjects with CVD, and, also acknowledged his contributions as mentor and participant to important international collaborations”.
The Arrigo Recordati International Prize for Scientific Research was established in 2000 in memory of the Italian pharmaceutical entrepreneur Arrigo Recordati. The award, presented every two years, aims to promote scientific research in the field of cardiovascular disease and recognize those who demonstrate dedication to the advancement of scientific knowledge in cardiology.
Dr. Yusuf began his medical research career in 1976, following the completion of his medical qualifications in Bangalore, India. Dr. Yusuf received a Rhodes Scholarship, which took him to Oxford University where he studied cardiology and internal medicine and obtained a DPhil. In 1984, Dr. Yusuf crossed the ocean to live in the United States where he continued his research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He then moved to Canada in 1992 to become Director of the Division of Cardiology at McMaster University. While teaching and working at McMaster, Dr. Yusuf established the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) – Canada’s premiere global health research institute that includes a network of 86 countries. Dr. Yusuf was a senior scientist at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from 1999 to 2004.
Dr. Yusuf, former Vice-President of Research at HHS, currently holds the position of Chief Scientist, HHS and Executive Director of the PHRI, Professor of the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, and Joint Member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Dr. Yusuf became President of the World Heart Federation in January of 2015. (Based in Switzerland, The World Heart Federation is an organization of international scientists in cardiology that works to prevent and control cardiovascular disease globally.)
A few of the milestones marking Dr. Yusuf’s international recognition are:
- the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award 2014
- induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame 2014
- Officer of the Order of Canada 2013
- the European Society of Cardiology Gold Medal 2008
- induction into the Royal Society of Canada 2005
- the Paul Wood Silver Medal of the British Cardiac Society 2003
- Lifetime Research Achievement Award of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society 1998
- Chair at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada 1997
Dr. Yusuf has published more than 900 peer-reviewed articles and in 2011, became the second most cited researcher in the world.
The world of medical research continues to celebrate the beneficence of Dr. Yusuf through the distinctive awards bestowed upon him for his dedication and significant contributions towards advancing medicine and research in his field.
Dr. Yusuf accepted the Arrigo Recordati International Prize in Milan, Italy on Saturday June 13. Congratulations Dr. Yusuf!
