Editorial introductions

Abstract

Current Opinion in Cardiology was launched in 1985. It is part of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of cardiology is divided into 14 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Harvey WhiteHarvey WhiteProfessor White is an Interventional Cardiologist and Director of Coronary Care and Cardiovascular Research at the Green Lane Cardiovascular Service, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. He is also Director of the Green Lane Coordinating Centre, and Honorary Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He trained at Green Lane Hospital and at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. In recognition of his work on end-systolic volume, infarct artery patency and fibrinolysis, he was awarded a Doctorate of Science (DSc) by the University of Otago, New Zealand in 1995 and the 1998 Prince Mahidol Award for Medicine by the King of Thailand. His special research interests include management of acute ischemic syndromes, antithrombotic management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in the elderly and dyslipidemia. He is a member of the VIGOUR group and Co-Chairman of the Redefinition of MI ESC/AHA Group and the STABILITY trial which is investigating the effects of darapladib to stabilise atherosclerotic plaques in 15 000 patients worldwide. William J. ElliottWilliam J. ElliottWilliam J. Elliott, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Preventive Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pharmacology and Head of the Division of Pharmacology at one of the newest medical schools in the US, the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, WA. After receiving the B.S. (summa cum laude) from the University of Notre Dame, USA, he earned the M.D. and Ph.D. (in Bio-Organic Chemistry) from the University of Chicago, USA. He trained in internal medicine and pharmacology at Barnes Hospital and Washington University—St. Louis, USA, and was a member of the faculty of the University of Chicago from 1985 to 1992. During the next 17 years at RUSH Medical College, USA, he practiced, taught and conducted research on cardiovascular clinical pharmacology, focusing on epidemiologic studies of risk factors, laboratory investigations, federally-funded cooperative clinical trials, and many industry-supported endeavors. Dr Elliott holds Board Certification in both Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, and was one of the original “Specialists in Clinical Hypertension” and Fellows of the American Society of Hypertension. He contributed on five topics to the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI), as well as to the “long version” of JNC 7. Some of his most recent publications are analyses of clinical trial results, putative risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cost-containment and pharmacoeconomics, and the assessment/enhancement of medication adherence. Dr Elliott belongs to many professional societies interested in clinical pharmacology and in hypertension, including fellowship in the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Council. He has lectured on five continents and participated in the review process for many journals, study sections, and funding agencies. Among his honors are twelve awards for teaching excellence. Anthony WierzbickiAnthony WierzbickiDr Anthony Wierzbicki qualified in 1986. He was appointed consultant in chemical pathology and Director of the lipid unit at St. Thomas and Guy's and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, UK, in 1994. His work in the field of atherosclerosis, which comprises more than 200 publications, has led to appointments as a Fellow of National Association of Clinical Biochemistry (USA) and the American Heart Association (atherosclerosis and blood pressure sections). He has been a trustee of HEART-UK and Chairman of this cholesterol charity's medical and scientific committee and is a member of many national and international societies. He has sat on UK government panels in cardiovascular medicine including the National Institute of Clinical Excellence. His research interests are in the relationship of lipids to atherosclerosis and in inherited disorders of lipid metabolism. Dimitri P. MikhailidisDimitri P. MikhailidisDimitri P. Mikhailidis is a reader and Honorary Consultant in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at the Royal Free Hospital campus, University College London Medical School, University College London (UCL), UK. His clinical interest is vascular disease prevention, and his research interests are dyslipidaemias and thrombosis. He is a former Wellcome Trust fellow. Dr Mikhailidis has over 14,000 citations listed in the ISI index. He is editor in chief of several journals including Current Medical Research and Opinion, Current Vascular Pharmacology and Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy. He has participated in several guideline committees. He is a former member of the nucleus group for peripheral arterial disease of the European Society of Cardiology.