DALLAS (AP) - Three prominent researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas and another from the UT Health Science Center at Houston will be honored as
American Heart Association distinguished scientists.
Eric Olson and Nobel laureates Drs. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein are from UT
Southwestern. Dr. James T. Willerson is president of the UT Health Science Center.
They are among only 15 scientists nationwide selected to receive the newly created designation,
which is the highest given by the association.
The researchers will be recognized as Founding Distinguished Scientists at the association's
Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 13.
Brown, Goldstein and Olson were recognized for their contributions in advancing the understanding
and management of cardiovascular disease, UT Southwestern said in a statement.
Brown and Goldstein shared the 1985 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery of
the underlying mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism. The research led to the development of
statins, now used by 13 million Americans to treat high cholesterol.
In addition to serving as president of the UT Health Science Center, Willerson is the medical
director, chief of cardiology and director of cardiology research at the Texas Heart Institute at St.
Luke's Hospital.
The honor recognizes Willerson for his contributions to cardiovascular and stroke research,
according to a news release from UT Health Sciences Center at Houston.
