Universit� degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Unimore awarded an honorary doctorate in 'Clinical and Experimental Medicine' to Prof. Paul K. Whelton

Unimore awarded an honorary doctorate in ‘Clinical and Experimental Medicine (CEM)’ to Prof. Paul K. Whelton, a leading international figure in the field of epidemiology and prevention of hypertension.

The ceremony began with a greeting from the Magnificent Rector, Prof. Carlo Adolfo Porro, followed by the reading of the motivations by Prof. Michele Zoli, Director of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, who illustrated the reasons that led to Prof. Whelton's selection for this prestigious award.  Afterwards, Prof. Marco Vinceti, Professor of General and Applied Hygiene and Director of the PhD Course in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, presented the distinguished doctoral student with a detailed excursus of his impressive academic and professional career.

The awarding of the honour to Prof. Whelton was proposed by Profs. Marco Vinceti, Giuseppe Boriani and Tommaso Filippini, of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, and unanimously approved by the Council of the same Department.

The reasons for the proposal, read out by Prof. Michele Zoli, highlight Prof. Whelton's exceptional scientific calibre, his pioneering role in the epidemiology and prevention of hypertension, and his significant contribution to international research. Prof. Whelton, among others, has been Principal Investigator of important studies such as the Trial of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) and the Trial of Nonpharmacologic Intervention in the Elderly (TONE), and has coordinated the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association's committee to draft the current guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

After awarding the title, Prof. Whelton delivered the Lectio Magistralis ‘High Blood Pressure: A Worldwide Challenge that requires a New Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Control’.

‘The conferral of an honorary doctorate on Prof. Paul K. Whelton,’ - comments Unimore Rector, Prof. Carlo Adolfo Porro, ‘is a source of great satisfaction for our University. Prof. Whelton has made a decisive contribution to the understanding of the mechanisms of hypertension and to the definition of effective prevention strategies. His internationally recognised studies have profoundly influenced clinical guidelines and global medical practice. His research on blood pressure control and non-pharmacological interventions has provided new insights into the management of this condition and has contributed to improving cardiovascular health worldwide. We therefore honour with the title of doctor a great physician and a great researcher, who has been able to combine research activity with teaching, regulatory and dissemination activities, an excellent synthesis of the functions qualifying the very essence of the Academy and the values that Unimore intends to inspire all activities’.

‘Granting Prof. Paul Whelton of Tulane University in New Orleans the title of doctor of research in Clinical and Experimental Medicine Unimore - say Professors Zoli, Vinceti, Boriani and Filippini - is an extraordinary educational and scientific opportunity and an opportunity to share with the community in which the University operates. In fact, if today we have powerful tools for the prevention, early diagnosis and control of hypertension, we owe it in large part to the experimental research work in the population promoted over decades by Prof. Whelton's group, as well as to the synthesis he carried out of the entire scientific evidence on the subject, also on behalf of the world's most prestigious scientific and professional institutions. The impact of his studies on the epidemiology of hypertension is evidenced by the numerous references and practical application of his findings. It is for these reasons that we are truly delighted to present Prof. Whelton with this honour, in the certainty that his contributions will continue to inspire and guide the scientific and medical community towards new heights.’

Paul Whelton was born and raised in Cork, Ireland, where he graduated in Medicine from University College Cork. He subsequently trained in internal medicine and nephrology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. He has conducted numerous studies in the US and other countries on the causes and risk factors and prevention of hypertension and increased blood pressure levels in general, the link between hypertension and cardiovascular and renal diseases, and the most effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. He was the coordinator of the large experimental studies (trials) conducted in the United States on the causes and treatment of hypertension, the Trial of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP, Phases I and II), the Trial of Nonpharmacologic Intervention in the Elderly (TONE), the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), and the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). He is the ‘first author’ of the major international clinical practice guidelines on blood pressure, the most recent (as well as the oldest) US guidelines for the prevention of hypertension and the treatment of hypertension, as well as similar World Health Organisation guidelines. He has collaborated extensively with researchers around the world. His contributions have been recognised with prizes and awards from the American Heart Association, the US National Kidney Foundation, the Irish government and numerous other institutions. In the context of an active research and teaching career, he has served as Dean of the School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Dean of a medical centre, President/CEO of a large US academic health system, and is currently President of the World Hypertension League. At Tulane University, Prof. Whelton holds the position of Show Chwan Chair in Global Public Health.

Categorie: International - english