image: AACVPR honors Richard Casaburi, Ph.D., M.D., LA BioMed principal investigator, for his work. view more
Credit: LA BioMed
The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation will bestow one of its highest honors on Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) principal investigator, Richard Casaburi, PhD, MD, at the association's annual meeting in Milwaukee.
Dr. Casaburi, who holds the Alvin Grancell/Mary Burns Endowed Chair in the Rehabilitative Sciences at LA BioMed and leads its pulmonary rehabilitation research, will receive the Michael L. Pollock Established Investigator Award on Oct. 8 at the association's 25th Anniversary Celebration Banquet during its Annual Meeting in Milwaukee. In announcing the award, the association said it was recognizing Dr. Casaburi's "many outstanding contributions to cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation."
The association, comprised of health professionals in the field of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, is dedicated to reducing morbidity, mortality and disability from cardiovascular and pulmonary disease through education, prevention, rehabilitation, research and disease management.
"Congratulations to Dr. Casaburi for another milestone in his prestigious career in the field of respiratory research and pulmonary rehabilitation," said David I. Meyer, LA BioMed president and CEO. "Dr. Casaburi has led the way in developing new rehabilitation strategies for the millions suffering from respiratory disease. His research is another example of how LA BioMed's researchers are making a difference in the health and quality of life of patients around the world."
In addition to the Pollock award, Dr. Casaburi has received the California Medal from the American Lung Association of California; the Governors Award from the American College of Chest Physicians; the Mary Burns Award from the California Society for Pulmonary Rehabilitation; the Career Achievement Award from the Fourth Quebec International Symposium on Cardiopulmonary Prevention and Rehabilitation and an award from the American Thoracic Society for his contribution to the establishment of the society's Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly.
He is president of the Pulmonary Education and Research Foundation, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to advancing the scientific basis and practice of pulmonary rehabilitation. To date, he has authored 207 publications and 184 abstracts.
At LA BioMed, Dr. Casaburi directs the Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, a facility dedicated to performing clinical research aimed at improving the lives of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
In addition to his work at LA BioMed, Dr. Casaburi is associate chief for Research and professor of medicine in the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Physiology and Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He is also director of Clinical Respiratory Physiology.
He received his PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, before qualifying in medicine from the University of Miami, School of Medicine.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and he is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American Thoracic Society. Dr. Casaburi currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society and the Journal of COPD.
About LA BioMed
Founded in 1952, LA BioMed is one of the country's leading nonprofit independent biomedical research institutes. It has more than 150 fulltime and part-time researchers conducting studies into improved treatments and cures for cancer, inherited diseases, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by environmental factors and more. It also educates young scientists and provides community services, including immunization and childhood nutrition programs. LA BioMed is academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.LABioMed.org