Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Wins Prestigious Award From the International Atherosclerosis Society
President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital given top honor for his contributions to the understanding and treatment of atherosclerosis
Left to Right: Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital with Peter Libby, MD, President of the International Atherosclerosis Society.
Photo credit: IAS 2024
The International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) has selected Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, President of Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, as the winner of a prestigious endowed award. He was presented with the Antonio M. Gotto Jr. Prize in Atherosclerosis Research during the opening ceremony at the IAS Annual Symposium in Oman on Wednesday, December 4.
This award honors Dr. Fuster’s outstanding contributions to the understanding of the progression, prevention, and treatment of atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries.
“I am proud for the recognition and especially for my colleagues who collaborated with me in the research enterprise,” says Dr. Fuster.
Dr. Fuster’s work over the last 40 years has broadly focused on atherosclerosis and has made a strong impact on global health. His research involves landmark mechanistic studies, treatment and diagnostic breakthroughs, and addressing the global public health crisis of non-communicable diseases through novel lower-cost preventive methods and treatment strategies. Dr. Fuster’s vast achievements have changed how clinicians practice medicine worldwide.
His groundbreaking research on the role of inflammation and thrombosis in atherosclerosis led to major advances in diagnosis and therapy. Among his many discoveries, Dr. Fuster identified that platelets play a role in coronary thrombosis and blockages. He was the first investigator to use aspirin in heart disease, specifically to prevent occlusion after bypass grafting. Dr. Fuster’s research also identified that cell cycle inhibitors reduce coronary in-stent restenosis, when a previously blocked coronary artery narrows after being treated with a stent. His research using high-resolution, non-invasive imaging monitored the biological effects of statins on atherosclerotic plaque and found that specific medication was associated with a significant regression in atherosclerotic lesions.
Dr. Fuster helped develop a cardiovascular “polypill”—a single pill that includes three medications typically taken separately—that is effective in preventing secondary adverse cardiovascular events in people who have previously had a heart attack. Dr. Fuster and his team showed that the polypill reduces cardiovascular mortality by 33 percent in this population. This medication was recently included by the World Health Organization in its List of Essential Medicines and is pending Food and Drug Administration approval in the United States. Additionally, Dr. Fuster’s work has been central to improving the health of patients with cardiovascular disease. He has designed, developed, and implemented early health education problems globally that have had positive impacts on society and promoted healthy habits in underserved communities at higher risk of heart disease.
Dr. Fuster was named Director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai in 1994, became Director of Mount Sinai Heart at its establishment in 2006, and held that position until the end of 2022. He built what is now known as Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital into one of the world’s leading centers for cardiovascular care, cardiac surgery, and advanced research. Dr. Fuster is also General Director of the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC).
His research into the origin of cardiovascular events, which has contributed to improved treatment of heart attack patients, was recognized in 1996 by the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research, the highest international award given by Dr. Fuster’s native Spain. In June 2011 he was awarded the Grand Prix Scientifique of the Institute of France for his translational research into atherothrombotic disease. Recently, he was named a Prince Mahidol Award Laureate in Thailand for his lifelong contribution to the field of medicine, and in 2022, the American College of Cardiology instituted the “Valentin Fuster Award in Science and Innovation,” which will be given to a single physician annually for the next 13 years. He also recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Heart Federation.
Dr. Fuster has also received the highest awards for research from the four leading cardiovascular organizations: the American Heart Association (Gold Medal and Research Achievement Award), the American College of Cardiology (Living Legend and Life Achievement Award), the European Society of Cardiology (Gold Medal), and the Interamerican Society of Cardiology (Research Achievement Award). In May 2014, King Juan Carlos I of Spain granted Dr. Fuster the title of Marquis for his "outstanding and unceasing research efforts and his educational outreach work."
Vicente Andrés, PhD, and Borja Ibáñez, MD, PhD, of the CNIC nominated Dr. Fuster for this latest award from the IAS. “Professor Fuster is an internationally recognized biomedical researcher and scientific leader in the field of cardiovascular disease who has provided and continues to provide outstanding scientific, medical, and educational advances that are paving the way to a better understanding of the causes of cardiovascular disease and to reducing their health care and socioeconomic burden,” they explained.
Dr. Fuster will give his award lecture on Thursday, December 5, in Muscat, Oman, at the Annual Scientific Session of the International Atherosclerosis Society.
Mount Sinai Is a World Leader in Cardiology and Heart Surgery
Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital at The Mount Sinai Hospital ranks No. 4 nationally for cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report®. It also ranks No. 4 globally according to Newsweek’s “The World’s Best Specialized Hospitals.”
It is part of Mount Sinai Health System, which is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. We advance medicine and health through unrivaled education and translational research and discovery to deliver care that is the safest, highest-quality, most accessible and equitable, and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 39 multidisciplinary research, educational, and clinical institutes. Hospitals within the Health System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.