Inaugural recipient of the Pfizer/Heart and Stroke Foundation Chair chosen

Renowned B.C. kinesiologist and heart disease researcher Dr. Scott Lear is the inaugural recipient of the Pfizer/Heart and Stroke Foundation Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Research at St. Paul's Hospital, established in partnership with Simon Fraser University (SFU).

Funding from this $4.6-million endowed chair will allow Dr. Lear to move his internationally renowned research program into a patient care setting, where he will have daily interaction with clinicians and patients. Working at the Providence Heart + Lung Institute based at St. Paul's Hospital, he will investigate why people get heart disease and what they can do to prevent or manage it.

"We're excited to have Scott in this position and anticipate this Chair will elevate his already remarkable work to make SFU a leader in this area and further the work of the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul's Hospital," says Dr. John O'Neil, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at SFU.

Dr. Lear is a leading researcher in the area of cardiovascular disease in Canada. He has conducted several high-profile studies demonstrating the disparities in heart disease risk across different ethnic communities. Dr. Lear is also responsible for developing an internet-based cardiac rehabilitation program which provides prevention strategies that allow rural patients to receive care in their own homes. This program has helped contribute to improvements in patients' cholesterol, blood pressure and body weight measurements. The additional funding will allow Dr. Lear to further explore how technology can help break down geographical barriers to prevent heart disease and provide tailored treatments for different populations in Canada.

"Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in British Columbia, Canada and most countries throughout the world, yet much of this is preventable," explains Dr. Andrew Ignaszewski, Division Head of Cardiology at St. Paul's. "With our aging population, it is essential to focus on prevention to improve quality of life for patients and reduce the impact on the health care system."

The chair was established in 2007 with $1.25 million from Pfizer Canada, $1.128 million from St. Paul's Hospital Foundation, including $1 million from an anonymous donor, $750,000 from Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon and $1.5 million from SFU.

"This position, with Dr. Lear's leadership, will serve as a catalyst to further much needed research into the prevention of cardiovascular disease at the population level and recruit additional expert researchers in the field to advance research and ensure inclusion of cardiovascular disease prevention measures into clinical practice and health policy decisions," says Dr. Bernard Prigent, Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Pfizer Canada.

"We are very excited about the establishment of this Chair," says Ms. Bobbe Wood, President and CEO of Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon. "It ensures the advancement of research and that its application and the promotion of healthy living will be pushed to an even higher level."

"The leadership contributions from SFU, Pfizer Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the anonymous donor to St. Paul's Hospital Foundation for this Chair will have a dramatic impact on heart disease prevention at St. Paul's Hospital and SFU, improving the health of people in B.C. and beyond," says Stephen Shapiro, President & CEO of St. Paul's Hospital Foundation. "On behalf of the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to our donors and partners for their leadership and generosity."