Lessons Learned From a Career In Interventional Discovery

Martin B. Leon, MD is Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). Dr. Leon is also Director of Columbia Interventional Cardiovascular Care, Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, and is on the Executive Board of the Columbia Structural Heart & Valve Center. He is a practicing interventional cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Dr. Leon is also the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. Dr. Leon has served as principal investigator for over 50 clinical trials that have helped shape the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine, including the following studies: STRESS, STARS, Gamma-one, SIRIUS, ENDEAVOR, and most recently, the PARTNER trial, studying the value of transcatheter valve therapy for patients with aortic stenosis. Dr. Leon has co-authored over 1550 publications, has performed over 10,000 interventional procedures, and has had a major impact as a thought-leader and innovator in the expanding sub-specialty of interventional cardiovascular device and drug therapies. He is the Director and Founder of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world’s premier interventional cardiovascular meeting, which recently celebrated its 24th anniversary. Dr. Leon has also served as Director or Co-Director of more than 100 international educational programs in areas of interventional cardiology. Dr. Leon has received 10 international career achievement awards and was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Athens.