Dr. Eugene Braunwald stands as a preeminent figure in modern cardiology, widely recognized as one of the most influential cardiovascular researchers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He currently holds the distinguished position of Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and serves as founding Chair of the TIMI Study Group at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Born in Vienna, Austria on August 15, 1929, Braunwald fled Nazi-ruled Austria with his family in 1939, eventually pursuing his medical education at New York University School of Medicine where he graduated first in his class. His early medical training included housestaff positions at Mount Sinai Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital, followed by significant leadership roles as Chief of Cardiology and Clinical Director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the NIH.
Dr. Braunwald's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease, most notably through his landmark 1971 discovery that a heart attack is a progressive event amenable to medical intervention. His early work established the foundation for modern cardiac assessment as he became the first physician to measure left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular dp/dt in patients, providing critical insights into ventricular function. In 1984, he founded the TIMI Study Group which has since conducted over 70 clinical trials that revolutionized heart attack treatment, demonstrating the efficacy of clot-busting drugs like tPA and establishing the life-saving benefits of ACE inhibitors and cholesterol-lowering therapies. With an H-index of 196 and more than 1,100 peer-reviewed publications, Braunwald is recognized as the most frequently cited author in cardiology, whose work has directly shaped clinical practice guidelines worldwide and saved countless lives through evidence-based interventions.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Braunwald has profoundly shaped cardiology through his influential textbooks, having served as editor for 12 editions of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine and founding the seminal text Braunwald's Heart Disease, which remains the definitive reference in the field. His leadership extended to institutional transformation as he founded the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego and served for 24 years as Chair of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where a 16-story tower was named in his honor in 2019. Recognized with prestigious honors including the Gold Medal of the European Society of Cardiology and the Research Achievement Award from the American Heart Association, Braunwald has also been deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of cardiologists, with the AHA establishing the annual Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award in 1999. His legacy continues to influence cardiology worldwide through the enduring impact of his research, educational contributions, and the ongoing work of the TIMI Study Group.
