Elizabeth Nabel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.
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| Alma mater | St. Olaf College Weill Cornell Medical College Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cardiovascular biology Academic Medicine |
| Institutions | US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Brigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School University of Michigan |
Elizabeth Nabel is an American doctor who specializes in heart health, also known as a cardiologist. She is currently a top leader in strategy at ModeX Therapeutics and OPKO Health. Before this, she was the President of Brigham Health and its Brigham and Women's Hospital. She also taught medicine at Harvard Medical School and led the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the NIH.
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Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Nabel was born Elizabeth Emilee Guenthner and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. She became very interested in science and medicine while studying at St. Olaf College. She finished college with top honors in 1974.
In 1981, she earned her medical degree (MD) from Weill Cornell Medical College. During her final year of medical school, she spent a month learning about heart care at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. She later returned to this hospital for her training in internal medicine. She wanted to connect patient care with scientific research. She felt that heart medicine was the best area for her to make new discoveries as a doctor and scientist.
A Career in Medicine and Research
In 1987, after finishing her training in Boston, Elizabeth Nabel and her husband, Gary Nabel, moved to the University of Michigan. There, Elizabeth Nabel became a Professor of Medicine and Physiology. She also became the Director of a new research center focused on heart and blood vessel health. Later, she became the Chief of the Cardiology Division.
In 1999, Dr. Nabel joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She became the Scientific Director of Clinical Research and Chief of the Vascular Biology Section at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Leading the NHLBI
From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Nabel was the Director of the NHLBI. She worked hard to make healthcare more available to people. She used the institute's large research budget to start new programs in areas like genetics and stem cells. Under her leadership, the NHLBI was the first NIH institute to speed up the review process for new research grants. She also helped start the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases. One of her most famous efforts was the Red Dress Heart Truth campaign. This campaign aimed to teach women about heart health through partnerships with different companies.
Return to Brigham and Women's Hospital
In 2010, Dr. Nabel returned to Brigham and Women’s Hospital as its president. She also became a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. At Brigham Health, she led big changes to improve healthcare delivery and encourage teamwork. She focused on expanding Brigham Health's reach around the world. She also worked on turning scientific discoveries into new treatments and raising money for the hospital. She helped raise over $1.75 billion.
In 2021, Dr. Nabel joined ModeX Therapeutics. She co-founded this company with Drs. Gary Nabel and Elias Zerhouni. The company focuses on developing new treatments for cancer and infectious diseases that use the body's immune system.
Biomedical Research Discoveries
Dr. Nabel's research has focused on the genes involved in heart and blood vessel diseases. Her work has led to 17 patents and more than 250 scientific papers. She developed new ways to study genes and cells. Her research helped us understand how blood vessels develop and how certain cells grow in blood vessels. This is important for understanding conditions like atherosclerosis, which is when plaque builds up in arteries.
Dr. Nabel also studied a rare condition called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This syndrome causes premature aging, leading to early heart attacks and strokes. Her studies helped explain why blood vessel cells are faulty in this condition. She also conducted studies to understand how genes contribute to diseases in blood vessels, including common ones like atherosclerosis and rare ones like progeria. In November 2020, a medicine called lonafarnib was approved in the U.S. This medicine helps prevent the buildup of harmful proteins in progeria. A study in 2018 showed that treatment with lonafarnib significantly lowered death rates in patients with progeria.
In her lab at the NHLBI, Dr. Nabel also explored how certain proteins control the growth of cells in blood vessels. This process is important for the development of atherosclerosis and restenosis (when an artery narrows again after treatment). Her research has opened up new ways to target these processes with medicines. She also contributed to both policies and basic research on embryonic stem cells.
Helping the National Football League
In 2015, Dr. Nabel was chosen to be the chief health and medical advisor for the National Football League (NFL). This was a new role. She gave advice on the NFL's medical and scientific efforts. She also helped identify ways to make player safety and care even better. Dr. Nabel left this role in 2017 after helping the NFL hire its first Chief Medical Officer.
Boards and Publications
Dr. Nabel serves on the boards of several important companies and organizations. These include Medtronic, Moderna, Lyell, Accolade, the Lasker Foundation, and South Florida PBS.
She has also been on the editorial boards of many science and medical journals. These include the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, and Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Dr. Nabel was part of Moderna's Scientific Advisory Board when the company started in 2010. She later joined its Board of Directors in 2015. She helped guide the company as it grew and developed its technologies, including the Moderna COVID vaccine. In August 2020, she temporarily stepped down from the Moderna Board. This was to avoid any possible conflict of interest because Brigham and Women’s Hospital was one of the sites testing the Moderna COVID vaccine. She rejoined the Moderna Board of Directors in March 2021.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Nabel has been recognized as one of the top leaders in medicine by publications like Modern Healthcare. She has also been named one of Boston's most powerful people by Boston Magazine. Her awards include the Distinguished Bostonian Award and the Kober Medal. She is a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.
Global Health Efforts
Dr. Nabel has worked with others to improve healthcare systems in countries like Rwanda, Haiti, and China. She supported [Partners in Health] and helped open Butaro Hospital in Northern Rwanda in 2011. Brigham and Women’s Hospital provided doctors, nurses, and cancer care services there. In 2013, a medical school and hospital called Mirebalais Hospital opened in central Haiti. This hospital offers medical training for Haitian doctors and provides medical care. In 2018, she also helped open a cancer hospital in Boao, China, in partnership with [Dana-Farber Cancer institute].
