Prestigious Award Honours Cardiovascular Researcher For ECG Findings, Canada

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Heart Disease
Article Date: 28 Oct 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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Dr. Hein J. Wellens, a leading researcher in the field of cardiovascular science will receive the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH) Distinguished Lecture and Prize Award. This award is given to an outstanding researcher for his work advancing cardiovascular sciences.

"I am delighted and honoured to accept this CIHR Prize on behalf of the dedicated team of researchers, physicians and scientists that I have worked with over many years," said Dr. Hein Wellens, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Interuniversity Cardiological Institute of the Netherlands (ICIN). "While the electrocardiogram (ECG) has been with us for more than a century, its value for the management of the cardiac patient is still increasing. Working closely with Canadian researchers in cardiology will help us strengthen our knowledge of how the ECG can complement other diagnostic techniques for the benefit of patients, not only in the Netherlands, but around the world."

Dr. Wellens and his team undertook research on the increasing value of the ECG for the management of the cardiac patient. They looked at how ECGs can give instantaneous information on the diagnosis, treatment effect and prognosis of patients with heart problems.

Each year, winners of the prestigious Distinguished Lecture and Prize Award deliver a major presentation at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, Canada's largest scientific meeting. Dr. Wellens' lecture will focus on the importance of ECG knowledge in daily cardiology practice.

"The potential to help cardiac patients lead fulfilling lives is important in the overall goals of new emphasis on patient-centered care that has intrigued both researchers and the Canadian public," said Dr. Peter Liu, Scientific Director of CIHR-ICRH. "Gaining instantaneous cardiac information is one of the cornerstones of cardiovascular research, and is exemplified in the work of Dr. Wellens. Dr. Wellens and his research team have been re-examining the benefits of the ECG to provide better care for cardiac patients and the collection of essential cardiac information. This important work leads the field of cardiovascular research and provides new opportunities in the realm of medical technology and cardiac patients."

Dr. Wellens will talk about his groundbreaking research, how his findings have led to greater understanding of the ECG, and how the technique may lead to the development of new strategies for cardiac regeneration in the future.

What: CIHR-ICRH Distinguished Lecture
Start Time: October 28, 2008 11:00 AM
End Time: October 28, 2008 12:30 PM
Location: Hall F (Level 800)

About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to nearly 12,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

About the CIHR-ICRH Distinguished Lecture and Prize

CIHR-ICRH established the annual CIHR-ICRH Distinguished Lecture and Prize in collaboration with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Each year, the award recognizes outstanding national and international researchers across the spectrum of biomedical, clinical, health services and policy, and population health research, for their extraordinary contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular sciences.

Source
David Coulombe
CIHR Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research