highlights from the 2009 heart-brain summit

Over 200 physicians, researchers, scientists and industry professionals attended the 4th Annual Heart-Brain Summit, October 15 & 16, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The 2009 Summit further demonstrated real progress in our understanding of the importance of heart-brain interactions in health and disease. The opening day focused on the evidence linking psychiatric disorders-specifically depression-to increased inflammation and plaque rupture associated with worsening outcomes in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease.

As we continue to build on the momentum of the Heart-Brain Summit, visit us here at www.heartbrain.org for additional updates and for the complete Proceedings from the 2009 Summit.

Please plan to join us at the 2010 Heart Brain Summit which will commence September 23 and 24 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Young Investigator Award

The Young Investigator Award is a competition open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, fellows and junior faculty within two years of their first appointment.

2009 Young Investigator Award recipient is Rebecca Dekker MSN, PhD(c)

Bakken Award & Lecture

The Bakken Award and Lecture is named in honor of Dr. Earl Bakken, developer of the first transistorized, battery operated wearable cardiac pacemaker, founder of Medtronic, Inc., and the inspiration behind the evolution of heart-brain medicine. The Bakken Award recognizes an individual who has conducted innovative research significantly impacting the field of heart-brain medicine.

2009 Bakken Award recipient is Marc S. Penn, MD PhD

Pioneer Award

The Bakken Pioneer Award is given in recognition of contributions fundamental to
the development of heart-brain medicine. Pioneer recipients are recognized senior healthcare professionals who have had a major impact on the understanding of heart-brain pathophysiology, the consequences of heart-brain interactions, and innovative treatments of heart-brain disorders.

2009 Pioneer Award recipient is Nicholas Schiff, MD