ACC and CRF Create the Martin B. Leon Center for Cardiovascular Transformation

October 14, 2020—The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced that they are partnering to create the Martin B. Leon Center for Cardiovascular Transformation to foster the best ideas, encourage innovative research, and deliver transformative solutions to some of the biggest cardiovascular care challenges.

According to ACC and CRF, the Leon Center is inspired by Martin Leon, MD, and his legacy of innovation in cardiovascular care. Leon is a distinguished pioneer in interventional cardiology and the founder and director of the annual TCT: Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics scientific symposium dedicated to interventional cardiovascular medicine.

ACC and CRF identified the Leon Center’s “four pillars” by which they will offer new advanced fellowships and clinical research grants focused on enhancing the pace of research to eradicate health disparities and transform cardiovascular care.

The four pillars are:

• Addressing the impact of the pandemic on cardiovascular research and care
• Programs to impact workforce diversity and team-based care
• Workshops and forums to promote innovations in cardiovascular care
• Patient advocacy and patient-centered education and research programs with a focus on underserved populations

“Designed to foster the best ideas, encourage innovative research, and ultimately deliver transformative and global solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our profession and our patients, the Leon Center will be as transformational as the man for which it is named,” stated CRF President and CEO Juan F. Granada, MD, in the announcement. “CRF is excited to work with the ACC on this visionary endeavor that will build on the legacy already created by Dr. Martin Leon. The future of our profession and of our patients will be brighter because of this work together.”

ACC President Athena Poppas, MD, commented, “To improve cardiovascular care and outcomes, we need visionary thinking and bold action. Through our joint work to create the Martin B. Leon Center for Cardiovascular Transformation, the ACC and CRF promise to deliver on that vision. The biggest challenges require collaborative solutions, and through the Leon Center we are fostering diversity, innovative research, and leadership as a springboard to a healthier future.”

More information on the Leon Center is available at www.leoncenter.org.