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Ralph L. Sacco

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Ralph L. Sacco
Born1957
Margate City, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJanuary 17, 2023
Long Island, New York, U.S.
SpouseScott Dutcher
Academic background
EducationBS, Bio-electrical Engineering, 1979, Cornell University
MD, 1983, Boston University School of Medicine
MS, Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Academic work
InstitutionsMiller School of Medicine at the University of Miami
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Ralph Lewis Sacco (1957– January 17, 2023) was an American neurologist. He held the Olemberg Family Chair in Neurological Disorders, Miller Professor of Neurology, Public Health Sciences, Human Genetics, and Neurosurgery at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami and Chief of the Neurology Service at Jackson Memorial Hospital. In 2020, Sacco was named editor-in-chief of the Stroke journal and the inaugural recipient of the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award from the American Stroke Association.

Sacco was also the Executive Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. He was the first neurologist to become president of the American Heart Association and the first former AHA president to become president of the American Academy of Neurology. He died on 17 January 2023 due to brain tumor.

Early life and education

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Sacco was born and raised in Margate City, New Jersey and attended Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey.[1] He was the oldest of five siblings born to a middle-class Italian family and was the first in his family to go to medical school. Sacco was encouraged by his aunt, who worked in a physician's office, to attend medical school.[2]

Sacco attended Cornell University for his Bachelor of Science degree in bio-electrical engineering and enrolled at Boston University School of Medicine for his medical degree.[3] He pursued his medical residence at Columbia University, where he began working with J.P. Mohr on the NINDS stroke databank, and with W. Allen Hauser, with whom he honed his skills in epidemiology.[2]

Career

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In 1991, Sacco co-authored a study investigating the high rate of stroke risk among African Americans.[4] This led to him assisting in the launch of Power To End Stroke, an initiative to heighten awareness of stroke risk among African Americans, through the American Heart Association (AHA).[5] He was also the principal investigator of the Northern Manhattan Study, a research study of stroke and stroke risk factors in the Northern Manhattan community.[6] During his final year at Columbia, Sacco received the AHA's Chairman’s Award for his "pioneering role in Power To End Stroke, an initiative to heighten awareness of stroke risk among African Americans."[7]

In 2007, Sacco was hired as chairman of the department of neurology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.[8] While serving as the Olemberg Family Chair in Neurological Diseases at the Miller School of Medicine and chief of the neurology service at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Sacco became the first neurologist to be named president of the American Heart Association.[7] Upon completing his term, Sacco was honored by the University of Miami with the 2015 Provost’s Award for Scholarly Activity and appointed Executive Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute.[9] In this role, he oversaw the Florida Puerto Rico Collaboration to Reduce Stroke Disparities and was a co-investigator of multiple other NIH grants. By 2017, he became the first former AHA president to become president of the American Academy of Neurology.[10]

In recognition of his academic achievements, Sacco was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine[11] and honored with Boston University's 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.[12]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, Sacco was named editor-in-chief of the Stroke journal.[13][14] He was also the inaugural recipient of the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award from the American Stroke Association.[15]

Personal life

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Sacco lived with his partner, pharmacist Scott Dutcher, in Miami Beach, Florida.[1]

Death

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Sacco died of glioblastoma on January 17, 2023, in Long Island, New York, at age 65.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b Cronick, Scott (June 20, 2010). "Everyone Has a Story: Margate native to be named president of American Heart Association". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Shaw, Gina (June 7, 2012). "Robert Wartenberg Lecturer Ralph L. Sacco, MD On Stroke Prevention — An Unfinished Story with New Perspectives". Neurology Today. 12 (11): 11. doi:10.1097/01.NT.0000415604.34239.0e. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  3. ^ "Ralph L. Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN". mbi-umiami.org. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "Black women more susceptible to strokes". The Tampa Tribune. December 14, 1991. Retrieved February 12, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "New guidelines offer power to prevent stroke". eurekalert.org. Eurekalert. May 5, 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Sacco, Ralph L.; Anand, Kishlay; Lee, Hye-Seung; Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Stabler, Sally; Allen, Robert; Paik, Myunghee C. (2004). "Homocysteine and the risk of ischemic stroke in a triethnic cohort: the NOrthern MAnhattan Study". Stroke. 35 (10): 2263–2269. doi:10.1161/01.STR.0000142374.33919.92. PMID 15345803.
  7. ^ a b Cruz, Kristen (September 9, 2010). "Dr. Ralph L. Sacco new president of American Heart Association". Community Newspaper. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  8. ^ "Movers". The Miami Herald. March 12, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Pioneering Research Recognized". nnews.miami.edu. March 30, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  10. ^ Hill, Kai (May 1, 2017). "Dr. Ralph L. Sacco Elected President of American Academy of Neurology". physician-news.umiamihealth.org. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "UM neurologist elected to National Academy of Medicine". news.miami.edu. October 15, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  12. ^ "BUSM Honors Ralph Sacco, '83, with 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award". bumc.bu.edu. October 9, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "Dr. Ralph Sacco Named Editor of the AHA's Prestigious Journal Stroke". physician-news.umiamihealth.org. March 4, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "As the Stroke journal celebrates 50th year, University of Miami neurologist Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., M.S., prepares to take the reins in mid-2020". newsroom.heart.org. February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "American Stroke Association honors 11 scientists for outstanding stroke research". newsroom.heart.org. February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "In Memoriam: Ralph L. Sacco, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN". www.aan.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
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