Eric Topol

Genomic Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, United States of America

Eric J. Topol is Director of Scripps Translational Science Institute. He was Program Director for the NIH supported Specialized Center of Clinically Oriented Research (SCCOR) flagship grant on the molecular determinants of coronary artery disease (2003-2006) and elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars.

Dr Topol's principal research focus is on genomics of coronary disease, leading a team to the discovery of the first autosomal dominant mutation (MEF2A deletion) inducing coronary disease and heart attack (Science, 2003), along with the thrombospondins and apoE2 receptor.

Dr Topol has served as chairman and principal investigator for more than 15 international multi-center randomized clinical trials, including the 5 GUSTO trials, the largest heart attack studies ever conducted, and many others, with cumulatively more than 200,000 patients enrolled. He was the first physician to administer recombinant t-PA, 2 different platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (abciximab and eptifibatide), and a novel anticoagulant (bivalirudin) to patients with coronary artery disease. The results of these large-scale trials, involving 40 countries around the world, have substantially changed approaches to patients with acute MI, percutaneous coronary interventions, and unstable angina, and he continues his research today.

Dr Topol is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians and European Society of Cardiology. Currently, he serves on the editorial board for over 20 peer review medical publications including Circulation and frequently writes invited editorials for the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and Lancet. He has over 980 original publications and has edited 18 books, including the Textbook of Interventional Cardiology (now in its 4th edition) and the Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, (3rd edition).

Any competing interests declared are displayed with individual evaluations.

Head of Faculty: Cardiovascular Disorders (since 16 November 2005)

Eric Topol is a Head of Faculty for the CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS Faculty. The role of a Head of Faculty is to help divide the Faculty (specialty) into Sections (sub-specialty areas), nominate leaders in those areas as Section Heads, and offer ongoing advice on the strategic direction of the service. They are not asked to evaluate articles, although we do, of course, welcome them.