Rhode Island Hospital’s Dr. Ohad Ziv will use grant to advance resuscitation research
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Philips Electronics today announced that Dr. Ohad Ziv, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Rhode Island Hospital, has been selected as the recipient of the second annual American Heart Association-Philips Resuscitation Fellowship Award.
Funded by a grant from Philips Healthcare, the Fellowship encourages young investigators in the early stages of their careers to advance the resuscitation field through basic and clinical research. The American Heart Association selected Dr. Ziv based on the merits of his research proposal and its applicability to the field of resuscitation. The award, which provides a $100,000 grant over a two-year period, will enable Dr. Ziv to pursue research on the influence of underlying heart disease and genetic background on the characteristics and mechanisms of ventricular fibrillation.
Dr. Ziv will be recognized at an awards luncheon taking place at the American Heart Association’s annual Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS) on November 8 in New Orleans. This meeting is held each year in conjunction with the association’s Scientific Sessions.
“I am honored to receive this prestigious award from the American Heart Association and Philips, and feel privileged to stand alongside two remarkable organizations that work tirelessly to move the field of resuscitation forward,” said Dr. Ziv. “I look forward to doing my part to deepen our knowledge of this complex field of study.”
Dr. Ziv’s research will allow scientists to better understand the possible etiology of ventricular fibrillation, which is the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). This research could help lead to the identification of a heritable component of the disease. Currently, the out-of-hospital SCA survival rate in the U.S. is only six percent. Such potential future genomic discoveries may improve the care of patients with cardiovascular disease and eventually decrease the number of SCA deaths each year.
“We are pleased to recognize Dr. Ziv’s novel research and are excited to see the results of his critical work,” said Michael Miller, senior vice president and general manager of Cardiac Care for Philips Healthcare. “As a leader in resuscitation, Philips is committed to continuing innovation in the field by supporting pioneering studies that may provide insights into the most effective ways to deliver resuscitation and ultimately lead to saving more lives.”
Dr. Zeng-Jin Yang, the 2007 Fellowship recipient and research fellow at the department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is in the second year of his research. Dr. Yang is studying the potential mechanisms of newborn brain cell damage that often occurs due to a lack of oxygen, which may be related to an event such as cardiac arrest. This research could help lead to the development of treatments to prevent such damage from occurring.
Philips offers full line of resuscitation solutions
Philips’ line of resuscitation products combines ease-of-use benefits, such as voice instructions and compact design, with clinically proven features for heart rhythm assessment and defibrillation. Each member of the Philips HeartStart family of defibrillators delivers SMART Biphasic therapy and is tailored to support the needs of a particular class of responders.
Because quality CPR and early defibrillation are inextricably linked -- the combination is essential to increasing the survival rate for victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) -- Philips has mapped out a portfolio of technology innovations designed to support every level of caregiver with CPR delivery in accordance with AHA/ERC guidelines. These include the industry’s first and only coaching technology for both adult and infant/child CPR on the HeartStart FRx, HeartStart OnSite and HeartStart Home Defibrillators; SMART CPR, the industry’s first heart rhythm analysis tool, on the HeartStart FR2+; and Q-CPR(TM), developed in partnership with Laerdal Medical, the only completely integrated CPR measurement and feedback solution designed to encourage rescuers to deliver effective CPR with monitoring and feedback for both chest compressions and ventilations, on the HeartStart MRx.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 128,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of $42 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
CONTACT: Steve Kelly, +1-425-487-7479, steve.kelly@philips.com, or Ian
Race, +1-978-659-4626, ian.race@philips.com, both of Philips Healthcare
Web site: http://www.philips.com/newscenter/
