Katz Prizes In Cardiovascular Research: James T. Willerson And Thomas G. Diacovo

University of Texas Health Science Center President James T. Willerson and Columbia Atherosclerosis Researcher Thomas G. Diacovo Named Katz Winners

NEW YORK – Columbia University Medical Center today announced the 2007 Katz Prizes in Cardiovascular Research, the first of which will be awarded to an internationally distinguished cardiologist, research scientist, and educator. The second will recognize a promising young cardiovascular researcher who is studying the biological mechanisms involved in blood clot formation that can lead to heart attack and stroke. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007, at a dinner following an afternoon lecture by the winners.

James T. Willerson, M.D.

Thomas G. Diacovo, M.D.

James T. Willerson, M.D., FACC, president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a leading

Award ceremony picture from left to right: Lee Goldman, James Willerson, Thomas Diacovo, Lewis Katz, Allan Schwartz cardiology researcher, is being recognized by the Lewis Katz Visiting Professorship in Cardiovascular Research for excellence in cardiovascular research and education.

Thomas G. Diacovo, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and pathology and director of research for the neonatology and critical care medicine divisions within the Department of Pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, has been awarded the Lewis Katz Cardiovascular Research Prize for a Young Investigator, which recognizes a junior faculty member at Columbia University Medical Center with great promise for contribution to the study of cardiovascular disease.

The Katz Prizes were created at Columbia University Medical Center through the generosity of entrepreneur and philanthropist Lewis Katz to recognize excellence in cardiovascular research and education. The prizes, each $100,000, are awarded to two outstanding physician-scientists annually. This is the second year of the awards.

“Dr. Willerson and Dr. Diacovo are both outstanding scientists, representing the highest level of excellence in cardiovascular research and education, which we hope to honor with the Katz Prizes,” said Allan Schwartz, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center. “Dr. Willerson’s long career of research breakthroughs and his history of training many of today’s outstanding cardiologists make him a leader in the field. Dr. Diacovo’s innovative investigations into the biophysical and structural mechanisms underlying blood clot formation hold great promise for expediting the development and testing of life-saving drugs to treat cardiovascular disease. It is a privilege to honor both of them with this award.”

Currently president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Dr. Willerson has been at the forefront of cardiovascular research, discovery, and education throughout his career. His recent work has concentrated on elucidating mechanisms responsible for the conversion from stable to unstable coronary artery disease syndromes, the prevention of unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction. Dr. Willerson and colleagues at the Texas Heart Institute now lead one of the first FDA-approved clinical trials to treat patients with end-stage heart disease using bone marrow-derived stem cells.

During his tenure as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Dr. Willerson has led the way in creating what is now known as the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. He holds the Edward Randall III Chair in Internal Medicine and the Alkek/Williams Distinguished Professorship, and is a prolific writer who has edited or co-edited 24 textbooks and published more than 862 scientific articles. Dr. Willerson served as editor-in-chief of Circulation, the American Heart Association's largest scientific journal, from 1993-2004. Earlier this year, he received the American Heart Association’s Gold Heart Award, the organization's highest honor for volunteers who have provided distinguished service.

A 1965 graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Willerson completed his residency and fellowship training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. He returned to Texas in 1972 to join the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and in 1989, he became chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the UT Medical School, the position he held until his appointment as president of the health science center.

Dr. Diacovo was recruited to Columbia University in 2005 and is currently director of research in neonatal and critical care medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. He received his postdoctoral training in the field of cell adhesion at the Center for Blood Research at Harvard Medical School. There, he gained the experience and expertise that has enabled him to develop an animal model that not only mimics an inherited bleeding disorder in humans, but also provides a means to test drugs that can prevent or treat the formation of blood clots in patients at risk for stroke or heart attacks. Dr. Diacovo has gained national recognition for his research and was awarded the prestigious Young Investigator Prize by the American Heart Association. He is also a recipient of the 2007 Faculty Development Grant awarded by the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), which is given to individuals who show great promise in developing novel technologies for real world applications.

The generous founder of these prizes, Lewis Katz, is the former owner of Kinney Parking Systems, a trustee of Temple University and Dickinson School of Law at the Pennsylvania State University, and a founding member of the Boys and Girls Club of Camden County, N.J. He is a partner of the New Jersey Nets and New York Yankees Baseball. - ### -

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