Bolli named executive vice chair

Dr. Roberto Bolli was officially named Executive Vice Chairman of the University of Louisville Department of Medicine on February 1.

In his new role, Dr. Bolli will continue to assist the department with its research enterprise, strategic plan development, faculty recruitment and resident and fellow research initiatives.

Dr. Bolli began his career at U of L as Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in 1994. He has also served as Vice Chairman for Research of the Department of Medicine, and is a Distinguished University Scholar, the Jewish Hospital Distinguished Chair in Cardiology, and the Director of the Institute of Molecular Cardiology at U of L.

While at U of L, Dr. Bolli’s research has focused on the mechanisms responsible for myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and on the development of cardioprotective strategies.  His earlier work established a fundamental role of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of myocardial “stunning,” a concept that is now accepted as a proven hypothesis.

He is currently investigating the use of stem/progenitor cells for repair of infarcted myocardium.

The winner of numerous awards throughout his career, Dr. Bolli will be the recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award of the American Heart Association in 2010.

Dr. Bolli is/has been on the Editorial Board of all major cardiovascular journals, has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, and is Guest Editor of Circulation.  Last year, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Circulation Research.

He has published 311 papers including 211 original articles.