Dr. Salim Yusuf awarded J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine

In the last decade, the cardiovascular death rate in Canada has declined by 40 per cent (Statistics Canada 2011) largely due to research advances in diagnostic and surgical procedures, drug therapies and prevention efforts. This year, the J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine goes to a researcher who has undoubtedly played a role in that improvement.

Western University is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2013 J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine is Dr. Salim Yusuf, an internationally renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist. Robarts Research Institute at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has been awarding this prestigious international prize to leading scientists since 1985. The award will be presented to Dr. Yusuf at the Leaders in Innovation dinner on Monday, November 18th at the London Convention Centre, an evening celebrating cardiovascular disease (CVD) research at Robarts.

Dr. Yusuf is a professor in the Department of Medicine, and the founder and director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences. Over the past 35 years, he has led numerous high-profile clinical trials which have substantially influenced prevention and treatment of CVD. He currently leads the largest ever study revealing the role of societal changes in CVD among 155,000 people from 22 countries.

Having published over 800 articles in refereed journals, Dr. Yusuf rose to become the second most cited researcher in the world for 2011. He is President-elect of the World Heart Federation, where he is initiating an ambitious program in 100 countries with the aim of halving the CVD burden globally within a generation.

Dr. Yusuf is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and the recipient of numerous international and national awards for research.

"It is a pleasure to see this international prize go to one of Canada's premier researchers. Dr. Yusuf's work and that of the dedicated group of cardiovascular scientists at Robarts have not only broadened our knowledge on how best to treat cardiovascular disease, but also how to prevent it in the first place," says Dr. Michael Strong, dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and Robarts' interim scientific director. "The Leaders in Innovation dinner has become a signature event celebrating medical research in London. Again this year, we will have some added star power living up to the tradition set by past guests Michael J. Fox and Alec Baldwin." The special guest will be announced in August.

The J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine is named after the founding Chair of the Board at Robarts, and includes a cash prize of $25,000 and a medal bearing the likeness of J. Allyn Taylor. The award is generously supported by the Stiller Foundation and the family of the late J. Allyn Taylor.