Eric N. Prystowsky, MD, FHRS, 2009 recipient of the President's Award

Congratulations to Eric N. Prystowsky, MD, FHRS, the 2009 President’s Award recipient, who was recognized at the President’s Reception at Heart Rhythm 2009 in May. He was selected as the recipient of the President's Award, given to recognize an individual who has made major contributions to Heart Rhythm Society as an organization and/or to the field of cardiac electrophysiology or pacing, based on his visionary leadership in the Heart Rhythm Society and Heart Rhythm Foundation.

Prystowsky has served on numerous Society committees for over two decades, on the Board of Trustees since 1994, as Chairman of the Scientific Sessions in 2000, as President from 2000-2001, as Vice-Chair of the Heart Rhythm Foundation from 2005 to 2007 and Foundation Chair from 2007 to 2008. In each role he has demonstrated passionate and selfless commitment to the interests of the Heart Rhythm Society. His leadership has been instrumental in the maturation and transformation of NASPE to HRS. His keen intellect, wisdom, focus and persistence have uniquely advanced the Heart Rhythm Society’s clinical, educational, research, and advocacy mission.

He currently serves as the Director of the Clinical Electrophysiology Laboratory at St. Vincent's Hospital and Health Care Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, a position he has held since 1988. Prystowsky is a Consulting Professor of Medicine at Duke University.

Born in Panama City, Prystowsky received his undergraduate training at Pennsylvania State University followed by medical school at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After training in medicine at Mt. Sinai, he completed his cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology training at Duke. He served as Director of the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory at Krannert Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine from 1979–1986. From 1986–1988 he held the position of Director of Clinical Electrophysiology at Duke University before assuming his current position. Since 2004 he has served as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. He has served on the editorial boards of 15 journals. He has been a member of the ABIM Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Test Committee since 1998 and served as Chairman since 2004.

Prystowsky is one of the leading clinical cardiac electrophysiolgists in the world. He has been recognized with over thirty awards and honors for clinical, scholarly and educational excellence. Among the awards are recognition in Best Doctor’s in America since 1992, multiple international lectures and vesting professorships, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Pennsylvania State University (2007). He is one of the most highly regarded educators in cardiology as reflected in the hundreds of national and international lectures and presentations he has given. In addition, he has received numerous teaching awards including the Distinguished Teacher Award of the Heart Rhythm Society (2002), the Master Teacher and Osler Awards from the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Prystowsky has edited or co-edited 12 textbooks, 34 policy statement, guidelines and editorials, 189 book chapters and reviews and 165 original manuscripts. His scholarly contributions range from innovative investigations on the influence of the autonomic nervous system of conduction and refractoriness in the human heart, to original observations on a wide range of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic techniques for arrhythmia treatment, to novel techniques to determine the mechanism of supraventricular tachycardia and localize accessory pathways. He has made important contributions to studies on risk stratification techniques for sudden cardiac arrest and pivotal trials evaluating therapies to prevent sudden death. In addition, he has made major contributions to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches to curing supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.

Prystowsky’s exceptional legacy as a clinician, researcher, and educator will now be appropriately enhanced with recognition of his contributions through leadership in the Heart Rhythm Society and Foundation. His leadership, professional accomplishments, personal integrity, and commitment to clinical care will serve to set the highest standards for generations. It is with immense gratitude and a keen awareness of his profoundly positive impact on the Heart Rhythm Society and our noble profession that he is recognized with the President’s Award.