Celebrating 25 Years of Partnership
The American College of Cardiology Foundation/Merck
Adult Cardiology Research Fellowship Awards
Advancing the Careers
of Young Scientists
A quarter-century ago, the American College
of Cardiology, Merck & Co., Inc., and The Merck Company
Foundation shared a common goal — encouraging young cardiologists
to pursue careers as physician-scientists. Promoting cardiovascular
research has always been fundamental to the College’s
mission of optimizing patient care, and Merck has a longstanding
commitment to fostering the development and training of future
leaders in science and biomedical research.
In
1981, these organizations formed a partnership to launch The
American College of Cardiology Foundation/Merck Adult Cardiology
Research Fellowship Awards (ACCF/Merck Awards).
Each year, six cardiology trainees who show extraordinary
promise as future leaders in cardiovascular medicine have
been named Merck
Fellows of the American College of Cardiology.
Since the program began, 132 physicians have
received this honor. Fifty-six percent of these ACCF/Merck
Fellows responded to a 2004 survey, confirming that they are
thriving and their careers are yielding important advancements
in many areas of cardiovascular medicine.
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“When you see an ACCF/Merck
Award on a CV, you know that person is well-trained,
has an innovative approach to investigation fostered
by an excellent mentor, and knows how to do productive
research.”
— Pamela S. Douglas, MD, FACC
2005–06 President, American College of
Cardiology
Former Chair, ACCF/Merck Awards Committee |
“The goals of The ACCF/Merck
Adult Cardiology Research Fellowship Awards reflect
the Merck environment: very rigorous research, questioning,
and investigation. The founders of the ACCF/Merck
Awards envisioned that cardiology clinicians and
professors who are well-trained in research would
be an asset to society as a whole, to medical society
in particular, and especially to the cardiovascular
community. When I look at the contributions of this
group of talented people, particularly the number
who are still involved in research, I have
to say that we at Merck simply couldn’t have
hoped for a better outcome.”
— David Bilheimer, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs, Atherosclerosis
and Diabetes Franchise, Worldwide Human Health,
Merck & Co., Inc. |
ACCF/Merck Fellows are —
Well-published,
averaging 23 peer-reviewed articles each, in prestigious journals
such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The
Journal of the American Medical Association, The
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Circulation.
Leaders in medical societies: Collectively,
respondents have served in 43 medical society leadership positions,
including 18 in the ACC.
Committed to academic medicine.
“It
was not just the funding, but the interactions with other
Fellows and with the scientists at Merck... It
made me feel that academics were important and generated
opportunities... I
believe the Merck Fellowship Award was a very important
factor that both stimulated me to stay in academics and
opened doors that allowed rapid career progression.”
Marschall S. Runge, MD, PhD,
FACC
Chair, Department of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
1986–87 ACCF/Merck Fellow
Unique Approach
From their inception, the ACCF/Merck Awards have stood apart
from other research opportunities for young investigators.
Recipients are selected based on the scientific merits of
their proposal, the commitment of their research mentors,
and the reputation of their lab environment.
The Merck Company Foundation has underwritten
the entire program, investing millions of dollars during the
past 25 years. The American College of Cardiology Foundation
has administered all aspects of this program; its leaders
serve on the committee that identifies applicants with the
most promise.
ACCF/Merck Fellows receive a grant that covers
their salary as well as materials to support their research
for one year. This “protected year,” along with
an apprenticeship with a dedicated faculty mentor, is the
greatest value of the program, say many past Fellows. Because
they were relieved from clinical responsibilities as well
as concerns about obtaining research support, the ACCF/Merck
Award allowed them to become immersed in scientific and clinical
investigation, encouraging many to choose academic medicine
and biomedical research as career paths.
“An
impressive number of ACCF/Merck Fellows are in real leadership
roles within their
institutions. They are chiefs of cardiology, chiefs of
institutes, directors of labs... Having protected time
to do research allowed them to learn and be productive
early enough that they could become leaders themselves.”
Richard Pasternak, MD, FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Vice President, Clinical Research
Cardiovascular/Atherosclerosis
Merck Research Labs, Merck & Co., Inc.
Important Influence
The influence of the ACCF/Merck Awards program
spans the field of cardiovascular care. ACCF/Merck Fellows
are conducting basic and clinical research that they view
as transforming patient care.
ACCF/Merck Fellows also are achieving prominence
in academia, where they are influencing the next generation
of cardiologists, some of whom may become scientists themselves.
ACCF/Merck Awards have consistently encouraged
innovation and originality. ACCF/Merck Fellows have gone on
to receive a wide variety of prestigious honors, such as the
ACC Young Investigator Award and the AHA Established Investigator
Award. Over the years, their research has been supported by
the NIH, the National Science Foundation, and many other respected
organizations that are committed to advancing creative approaches
to treat cardiovascular disease.
“I
believe Merck deserves a special place in American cardiology
for what it has done for the clinical
scientists.”
Robert Roberts, MD, FACC
President and CEO
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Chair, ACCF/Merck Awards Committee
ACCF/Merck Fellows: Leaders in Professional Societies
ACC — 18 leadership positions
AHA — 2 presidents
SCAI
ASE
NASPE — Heart Rhythm Society
Heart Failure Society of America
Association of Clinical Investigators
“The
Merck fellowship represents the single
most important opportunity for cardiology fellows
to succeed in academic cardiology.”
James G. Jollis, MD, FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine
Duke University Medical Center
1991–92 ACCF/Merck Fellow
ACCF/Merck Fellows:
Recipients of Prestigious Grants
NIH
AHA
NHLBI
Academic Medicine and Managed Care Forum
ACC/Proctor and Gamble Career Development Award,
Burroughs Wellcome (GlaxoSmithKline)
Hartford Hospital
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
National Marfan Foundation
National Science Foundation
Pfizer New Faculty Award
Robert Wood Johnson
Roche Diagnostics
ACCF/Merck Fellows:
Honored for Their Work
William W. Parmley Young Author Achievement
Award
AACIO Best Research Award
AFCR Henry Christian Award for Oncology
AHA Established Investigator Award
AHA California Penrose Stout Research Award
AHA J. Kent Trinkle Health Professional Award
AHA Katz Prize
AHA Researcher of the Year
AHA Samuel A. Levine Young Clinical Investigator
AHA Young Investigator Award
American Association of Physicians Fellowship
ACC Career Development Award in Arrhythmias
ACC Young Investigator Award
American Society of Echocardiography Outcomes Research Award
Merck Awardee Profiles describe the
impact of grant on young scientists:
Dr. Sandra Lewis
Dr. Abhinav Diwan
Dr. Raymond Brugada
Dr. Peter Buttrick
Dr. Nanette Bishopric
2005 ACCF Research Fellowship Awards
Committee:
Robert
Roberts, MD, FACC (Chair)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, FACC
University of California, Los Angeles
Gregory M. Lanza, MD, FACC
Washington University, St. Louis
Fred Morady, MD, FACC
University of Michigan
Suneet Mittal, MD, FACC
Cornell University Medical College |
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Jorge Plutzky,
MD, FACC
Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, FACC
University of Michigan
Sharon C. Reimold, MD, FACC
University of Texas Southwest Medical Center
Mehran M. Sadeghi, MD, FACC
Yale University
Guillermo Torre-Amione, MD, PhD, FACC
Baylor College of Medicine |
Current ACCF/Merck Fellows:
Hanh Bui, MD
University of California, San Diego
Mechano-Electric Feedback and Arrhythmias in the Failing Heart |
Rose Cohen, MD
Columbia University
The Effect of Erythropoietin on Exercise Capacity in Patients with Anemia and
Diastolic Heart Failure |
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Patricia Nguyen, MD
Stanford University
Non-Invasive Assessment and Characterization of Atherosclerosis Using Magnetic
Resonance Imaging in Patients with the Metabolic Syndrome |
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Benjamin Schaefer,
MD
University of Washington, Seattle
Inheritance of Bicuspid Aortic Valves: Phenotypic and Genotypic Classification |
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Mintu Turakhia, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Detection of Genetic Polymorphisms Contributing to Ventricular Arrhythmias and
Sudden Cardiac Death |
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Jeffrey Williams,
MD
University of Pittsburgh
Segmental, Polynomial Model of the Human Intracardiac Electrogram: Novel Method
to Discriminate Supraventricular Tachycardia from Ventricular Tachycardia |
Merck Fellows of the American College
of Cardiology
Chester M. Boltwood, Jr.,
M.D.
Eric H. Conn, M.D.
William A. Gavin, M.D.
Sandra J. Lewis, M.D.
Michael M. Silver, M.D.
George S. Abela, M.D.
David W. Ferguson, M.D.
Mervyn B. Forman, M.B., B.Ch.
Michael D. McGoon, M.D.
Wyatt F. Voyles, M.D.
Fred M. Aueron, M.D.
Allen A. Ciuffo, M.D.
Raymond G. McKay, M.D.
John R. Windle, M.D.
Stephen G. Young, M.D.
Peter M. Buttrick, M.D.
Dennis L. Morris, M.D.
Steven W. Werns, M.D.
Nanette H. Bishopric, M.D.
John P. Cooke, M.D.
Edward M. Gilbert, M.D.
Klaus C. Lindpaintner, M.D.
Paul A. Sobotka, M.D.
Seigo Izumo, M.D.
Joseph D. Minardo, M.D.
Marschall S. Runge, M.D.
Pierce J. Vatterott, M.D.
Thomas J. Wargovich, M.D.
Sidney A. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.
H. Kirk Hammond, M.D.
Ray E. Hershberger, M.D.
Robert O. Kenet, M.D., Ph.D.
Peter G. Milner, M.B., Ch.B.
Walter W. Chien, M.D.
Christopher A. Lang, M.D.
George A. Peeters, M.D.
Mark S. Wathen, M.D.
Franklin C. Wefald, M.D.
Robert C. Bernstein, M.D.
Paul L. Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
John A. Jarcho, M.D.
L. Allen Kindman, M.D.
Daniel M. Kolansky, M.D.
Matthew R. Holland, M.D.
Kirk U. Knowlton, M.D.
Issei Komuro, M.D., Ph.D.
Carlin S. Long, M.D.
Anthony J. Straceski, M.D.
Scott L. Beau, M.D.
James G. Jollis, M.D.
Seth L. Krauss, M.D.
Sharon C. Reimold, M.D.
David E. Tolman, M.D.
William T. Abraham, M.D.
Thomas C. Andrews, M.D.
Melvin E. Carter, M.D.
Steven P. Friedrich, M.D.
Mark Kozak, M.D.
George A. Nasser, M.D.
Alan H. Singer, M.D.
Kirsten E. Fleischmann, M.D.
Loewe Ong Go, M.D.
Chun Hwang, M.D.
Stephen E. Kimmel, M.D.
Surath S. Srivatsa, M.D.
Lawrence S. Zisman, M.D. |
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Marie D.
Gerhard, M.D.
Mark D. Kraemer, M.D.
Steven O. Marx, M.D.
Peter Hui-mun Pak, M.D.
Jeffrey A. West, M.D.
K. Michael Zabel, M.D.
Brett M. Baker, M.D.
Ori Ben-Yehuda, M.D.
James J.C. Ong, M.D.
Jay D. Schlaifer, M.D.
Periyanan Vaduganathan, M.D.
Karol E. Watson, M.D.
Joel Gellman, M.D.
Wendy Johnson, M.D.
Todd M. Koelling, M.D.
Mary S. Larson, M.D.
Mary Ann McLaughlin, M.D.
Costa Andreou, M.B., B.Ch.
Ramon Brugada, M.D.
Bahman Chavoshan, M.D.
Fernando Lopez, M.D.
Mathew S. Maurer, M.D.
Robert E. McCarthy, III, M.D.
Marlene S. Williams, M.D.
Joshua A. Beckman, M.D.
Elizabeth S. Biegelsen, M.D.
David A. Hinchman, M.D.
Arya Mani, M.D.
Andrew D. Michaels, M.D.
Kesavan Shan, M.D.
Maria N. Ansari, M.D.
Lynette W. Lissin, M.D.
William H. Maisel, M.D.
Samer S. Najjar, M.D.
Srihari Thanigaraj, M.D.
Charles J. Vaughan, M.D.
Thomas P. Cappola, M.D.
Kathryn A. Glatter, M.D.
Dinesh K. Kalra, M.D.
Daniel T. Price, M.D.
Allison W. Richardson, M.D.
Marc S. Sabatine, M.D.
Kieko Aikawa, M.D.
David Bello, M.D.
John A. Kao, M.D.
Frank A. Laws, M.B.B.S.
Alfonso F.J. Prieto, M.D.
William P. Warrem, M.D.
Alan Cheng, M.D.
Manisha J. Shah, M.D.
Monica R. Shah, M.D.
Karen K. Stout, M.D.
Thomas J. Wang, M.D.
Yerem Yeghiazarians, M.D.
Evan Applebaum, M.D.
Kelley R.H. Branch, M.D.
Abhinav Diwan, M.D.
Adrian F. Hernandez, M.D.
Samia Mora, M.D.
Wai Hong Wilson Tang, M.D.
Akshay Desai, M.D.
Sekar Kathiresan, M.D.
David Krummen, M.D.
Pathmaja Paramsothy, M.D.
Manesh Patel, M.D.
Mohan Viswanathan, M.D. |
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Scientific
Achievements
at a Glance:
Dr. George Abela proved that coronary angioplasty
improves vascular function.
Dr. Steven O. Marx demonstrated that rapamycin
inhibits growth of smooth-muscle cells, leading to the use of rapmycin
in drug-eluting stents.
Dr. John Jarcho discovered the first genetic
locus for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Dr. William Abraham laid the groundwork for
the development of natriuretic peptide for treatment of decompensated
heart failure.
Dr. Michael Zabel demonstrated that patients
with unstable angina would benefit from use of antithrombin agents.
Dr. Yerem Yeghiazarians used MRI to assess the
composition of an atherosclerotic plaque.
Dr. Samia Mora identified a polymorphism associated
with thrombotic events in siblings of patients with premature coronary
artery disease.
Dr. Raymond Brugada identified the first locus
for familial atrial fabrilation. |
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