(NewMediaWire) – December 09, 2021 – DALLAS – Rhian M. Touyz, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc. (Med), Ph.D., FAHA, has been selected as the new editor-in-chief of Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Heart Association. She most recently served as deputy editor of the Hypertension journal, and Dr. Touyz takes the helm from current Editor-in-Chief Anna F. Dominiczak, M.D., FAHA, who has led the journal since Jan. 1, 2012.
“We are proud to appoint Dr. Touyz as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Hypertension journal, effective with the January 1, 2022, issue published yesterday, and we are grateful to Dr. Dominiczak for her 10 years of incredible service in the role,” said Eldrin F. Lewis, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the American Heart Association’s Scientific Publishing Committee. “During her time as deputy editor of the journal, Dr. Touyz continually impressed us with her leadership, professionalism and desire to make a positive impact on hypertension care for millions of people around the world. We look forward to her stellar leadership, as she will undoubtedly push the journal to new heights as the preeminent research forum for the latest advancements in hypertension, particularly those that can improve outcomes and quality of life for our patients.”
Dr. Touyz is an internationally recognized research scientist specializing in vascular biology and hypertension, with a focus on clinical and experimental hypertension, signal transduction, oxidative stress, ion transport, vascular and adipose biology and cardiovascular oncology. She has a particular interest in translational research, and she was recently appointed executive director and chief scientific officer of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montréal, Quebec. She is also a professor of medicine in the department of medicine and family medicine, and the Dr. Phil Gold Chair in Medicine at McGill University. RI-MUHC is one of Canada’s leading hospital-based research enterprises with collaborative projects in 67 countries around the world, and Dr. Touyz leads a team of more than 1,000 researchers and staff focused on investigating novel mechanisms, diagnostics and therapies to improve human health worldwide.
“It is with enormous pride and great pleasure that I take on the leadership as Editor-in-Chief of Hypertension. As the journal representing the Council on Hypertension, Hypertension is one of the gems of the portfolio of AHA journals. I am committed to preserving its reputation as the foremost journal in the field internationally and will strive to build on the outstanding and strong foundation that makes it distinctive. Hypertension must be the ‘go-to’ journal for the most innovative and impactful research. Working together with the Deputy Editor Dr. David Harrison and the outstanding team of associate editors, I will ensure that Hypertension remains the premier journal globally,” said Dr. Touyz.
Prior to joining RI-MUHC, Dr. Touyz served as director of the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (ICAMS) at the University of Glasgow for a decade, and as a consultant for Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, both in Glasgow, Scotland. She was also the British Heart Foundation (BHF) chair of cardiovascular medicine and director of the ICAMS BHF Centre of Research Excellence in Vascular Science and Medicine. She was previously the Canada Research Chair in Hypertension and professor of medicine at the Kidney Research Centre of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute/University of Ottawa in Canada.
Originally from South Africa, Dr. Touyz earned her bachelor of science, bachelor of medicine and surgery (M.B.B.Ch.), master of science and doctorate degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Clinical Research Institute of Montréal.
Dr. Touyz has been recognized with numerous awards for her distinguished accomplishments and research efforts. Her awards from the American Heart Association include the Dahl Award, the Harriet Dustan Research Award and the Research Excellence Award from the Council on Hypertension. Additional awards include the Robert M. Berne Distinguished Award from the American Physiological Society; the RD Wright Award from the BP Research Council in Australia; the Irvine Page Award from the American Society of Hypertension; and the Joan Mott Award from the Physiology Society.
She has played a major leadership role in the premier national and international hypertension organizations. Dr. Touyz has served in numerous roles including president of the Canadian Hypertension Society (2007-2008); chair of the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research Council (2010-2012); president of the International Society of Hypertension (2014-2016); and president of the European Council for Cardiovascular Research (2019-2021). She was the founder and chair of the Women in Hypertension Research Network of the International Society of Hypertension, the mission of which is to encourage, support and inspire women in science and medicine in the field of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases, and to facilitate new avenues for communication, collaboration and education. She was editor-in-chief of Clinical Science and is an associate editor of Pharmacological Reviews.
Dr. Touyz has trained more than 70 Ph.D. students and fellows, many of whom have gone on to successful independent careers. She has published over 565 peer-reviewed papers. She is also actively involved in contributing to best clinical practice and co-chaired the Canadian Hypertension Education Program for clinical guidelines and is a current member of the Committee for Practice Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology.
Statements and conclusions of studies published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, device manufacturers and health insurance providers and the Association’s overall financial information are available here.
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