VCU Pauley Heart Center’s 2009 Dr. Carolyn McCue Award for Woman Cardiologist of the Year Goes to Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.

By Anne Buckley

Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., a nationally recognized physician-scientist and leading advocate of cardiovascular research, has been selected to receive the second annual Dr. Carolyn McCue Woman Cardiologist of the Year Award from the Virginia Commonwealth University Pauley Heart Center.

Nabel is the newly appointed president of Brigham and Women’s Hospitals and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining BWH in January 2010, she was director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the largest of the National Institutes of Health institutes, where she oversaw a staff of 850 and an annual budget of $3 billion.

The McCue Award honors the memory of Dr. Carolyn McCue, one of the few female cardiologists of her time and a pioneer in the field of pediatric cardiology, who practiced at the Medical College of Virginia, now the VCU Medical Center, for 42 years. She created and chaired the school's Pediatric Cardiology Division for 20 years, during which time she was instrumental in establishing pediatric cardiology clinics in medically underserved communities throughout Virginia.

The McCue Award is made possible by a grant from the McCue family “to encourage and inspire other young women to pursue careers in cardiology.” The award carries a $10,000 prize and will be presented at a ceremony in Richmond in April.

“Dr. Nabel exemplifies the bold determination and absolute commitment to advancing cardiology that the McCue Award celebrates,” said Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, M.D., chair of the VCU School of Medicine Division of Cardiology. “She is an outstanding scholar, an innovative researcher and a skilled administrator. Throughout her distinguished career she has provided guidance and encouragement to countless medical students, trainees, junior faculty and fellow investigators. She is an inspiration to young women considering careers in cardiology, and to her colleagues and collaborators as well.”

Nabel is a leading scientist in the development of novel genetic and cellular therapies for cardiovascular disease. A longtime proponent of the “bench-to-bedside” concept, she has used her well-rounded scientific background and strong management skills to bring research advances into clinical practice. She has been involved in community outreach programs throughout her career, including NHLB initiatives, with a particular focus on women and heart disease, such as the Heart Truth Campaign, and through the child obesity prevention program known as WE CAN.

Nabel has published more than 250 papers in leading medical journals. She is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. She also serves on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine and is a consulting editor for Circulation and Circulation Research.

“The roster of candidates for the McCue Award this year was truly outstanding,” said George W. Vetrovec, M.D., VCU professor of medicine and creator of the McCue Award Program. “We received nominations for many of the most accomplished women in cardiology, representing the top medical centers and healthcare organizations throughout the country. Each candidate was highly deserving, making the award selection process very challenging for our award panel.”

Award Panel members included: George A. Beller, M.D., University of Virginia; Anne B. Curtis, M.D., University of South Florida; Pamela S. Douglas, M.D., Duke University; William C. Little, M.D., Wake Forest University School of Medicine; Mary Ann Peberdy, M.D., VCU, Kiran B. Sagar, M.D., University of Wisconsin; and George W. Vetrovec, M.D., VCU.