Robert Guyton Receives Distinguished Service Award
APRIL 2016
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has honored Robert Guyton, MD, with its 2016 Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine. The award is granted to a physician, scientist, or layperson who, by individual effort, has made profound contributions to medicine and/or the delivery of health care.
Dr. Guyton was recognized for these achievements, along with all 2016 ACC award winners, at the Convocation Ceremony on April 4 during the ACC's 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago. Recipients are nominated by their peers and then selected by the ACC.
"Dr. Guyton has made lasting contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine through dedication to his patients, practice and colleagues," says ACC President Kim Allan Williams, MD. "It is an honor to be able to recognize Dr. Guyton with the Distinguished Service Award and celebrate his contributions to and achievements in cardiology."
Dr. Guyton has served as chief of the Emory Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery since 1990 and is currently chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Emory University Hospital. Throughout his career, he has held various high-level offices in numerous surgical societies, including a 2003-2004 term as president of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and an ongoing membership on the Board of Directors of the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education.
In 2007, Dr. Guyton joined Emory cardiothoraic surgeon Vinod Thourani, MD, and Emory cardiologists Vasilis Babaliaros, MD, and Peter Block, MD, as one of the local surgical co-PIs of the multi-center PARTNER I trial of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The results of the national trial influenced the FDA's 2011 approval of the SAPIEN transfemoral transcatheter heart valve for treatment of high-risk patients with aortic stenosis in 2011.
In 2014, Dr. Guyton was inducted into Emory's Millipub Club for being co-author of a paper that was cited more than 1,000 times in the literature.