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Prof Henry Blackburn recognized with WHF Lifetime Achievement Award

28 Mar 2020

WHF is thrilled to present the WHF Lifetime Achievement Award to Prof Henry Blackburn for his outstanding achievements during his distinguished career, especially for his research on the early history of cardiovascular disease epidemiology.

Prof Blackburn was Project Officer for the Seven Countries Study from 1957 to 1972 and then became Laboratory Director upon Ancel Keys’s retirement. In 1983, he became director of the Division of Epidemiology and merged the programs of Physiological Hygiene and Epidemiology. He also led the Minnesota heart survey and the Minnesota Heart Health Program from 1979-1990. Since retirement in 1996, he created and manages the University of Minnesota website: Heart Attack Prevention. A History of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology.

Among his recognitions and awards, the following stand out: Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, Alexander Langmuir Lecture in Epidemiology; American Epidemiological Society (2001), Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Tulane University (1999), Outstanding Alumnus, Tulane University School of Medicine (1994), Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons (Glasgow) (1994), Research Achievement Award, American Heart Association, (1992), Pioneer Award, Minnesota Department of Health (1992) and Mayo Professor of Public Health, 1990-present (Emeritus).

The World Heart Awards are all about celebrating new ideas and recognising the talents and achievements of those working to combat cardiovascular disease around the world. To learn more about the 2020 Awards, click here.