Eugene Braunwald facts for kids

Eugene Braunwald, born on August 15, 1929, is a famous heart doctor from Austria who became an American citizen. He has made many important discoveries about heart health.

Early Life and Education

Eugene Braunwald was born in Vienna, Austria. He studied at New York University and became a doctor. Later, he trained in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

He decided to become a heart doctor after working at a heart clinic in New York. He also took special heart courses in Mexico City. He believed that learning from real patients was the best way to become a good doctor. He often said, "The best book of cardiology is the patient itself."

In 1952, Braunwald married Nina Starr, who was also a doctor and researcher. They had three children together. After Nina Starr passed away in 1992, he later married Elaine.

A Career in Heart Health

Dr. Braunwald led the heart department at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. This is part of the National Institutes of Health, a big research center in the United States.

From 1968 to 1972, he helped start the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He then moved to Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. There, he was the head of the Department of Medicine from 1972 to 1996.

Many top scientists in medicine worked in his department during his time as chair. This shows how much he helped other researchers grow.

Dr. Braunwald's amazing work has been recognized in many ways. He was chosen to be a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Harvard Medical School also created a special position named after him. The American Heart Association gives an award for mentoring, also named in his honor.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Braunwald has received many awards for his contributions to medicine:

• In 1966, he received the Jacobi Medallion for his great achievements in medicine.
• In 1986, he was given the Distinguished Scientist Award by the American College of Cardiology.
• In 2001, he received The Warren Alpert Foundation Prize.
• In 2002, he won the King Faisal Prize for Medicine. He shared this award with Professor Finn Waagstein.
• In 2004, he was the first person to win the Libin/AHFMR Prize for Excellence in Cardiovascular Research.
• In 2010, he received an honorary degree from the University of Rochester.
• In 2013, he received another honorary degree from the University of Salerno in Italy.

Important Work and Discoveries

Dr. Braunwald has written over 1,000 scientific papers. His research has greatly improved our understanding of heart problems like congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and valvular heart disease. He has published more articles in top medical journals than almost any other author.

He is also the editor of a very important textbook called Braunwald's Heart Disease. This book helps doctors around the world learn about heart conditions. He also helped lead the TIMI studies. These studies showed how blood clots and hardened arteries cause heart attacks. This research led to new treatments that help reduce damage to the heart during a heart attack.

For over 30 years, he was also an editor for Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, another major medical textbook.

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