Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement
The debt of gratitude The Texas Heart Institute owes the late Ray C. Fish can never be repaid, for it was through the Ray C. Fish Foundation that the Institute received an initial $5 million gift—an investment that is equivalent to a donation of $45 million today. The faith implicit in the award enabled The Texas Heart Institute trustees to obtain another $5 million to construct facilities sufficient to house the growing number of heart patients who were coming to the Institute in the 1960s.
Although Ray C. Fish lived in Houston and suffered from a heart ailment, he never had the opportunity to see the good his money produced for heart patients around the world. However, the family of Mr. Fish, who serve as trustees of the Ray C. Fish Foundation, have continued their involvement with The Texas Heart Institute through their annual generous support.
In 1972, to honor Mr. Fish’s valuable gift, The Texas Heart Institute established the Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement. The award recognizes those whose innovations have made significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine and surgery.
Recipients of the Texas Heart Institute Ray C. Fish Award for Scientific Achievement
1972
Norman E. Shumway, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Pioneered the heart transplant operation
1973
F. Mason Sones, Jr., MD
Cardiologist
Developed coronary angiography
1974
Eugene E. Braunwald, MD
Cardiologist
Developed techniques for myocardial preservation
1975
Willem J. Kolff, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon and Researcher
Known for his work in developing artificial organs
1976
Harvey Feigenbaum, MD
Cardiologist
Developed echocardiography
1977
John W. Kirklin, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Fabricated and used one of the first heart-lung machines for open intracardiac repairs
1978
Bernard Lown, MD
Cardiologist
Pioneered the use of devices, including the defibrillator and cardioverter, to regulate cardiac rhythm disturbances
1979
John J. Gallagher, MD
Cardiologist
Worked with Dr. Will Sealy to develop methods to correct Wolff-Parkinson-White (pre-excitation) syndrome
1979
Will C. Sealy, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Performed the first successful surgery for Wolff-Parkinson-White (pre-excitation) syndrome
1980
W. Proctor Harvey, MD
Cardiologist
Renowned for his ability to diagnose and treat heart disease and for his ability to teach
1981
Paul M. Zoll, MD
Cardiologist
Made discoveries that led to the development of pacemakers
1983
Andreas R. Gruentzig, MD
Cardiologist
Developed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
1984
Hein J.J. Wellens, MD
Cardiologist
Developed reproducible methods for studying cardiac rhythm disturbances and the effects of various therapies on arrhythmias
1984
Douglas P. Zipes, MD
Cardiologist
Renowned for treating cardiac arrhythmias, including sudden cardiac death
1985
Denton A. Cooley, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Pioneered numerous surgical treatments for heart disease, including implantation of a total artificial heart, heart transplantation, repair of left ventricular and aortic aneurysms, and palliation of congenital heart disease
1986
William J. Rashkind, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist
Developed a nonsurgical method to treat transposed heart vessels in infants
1987
Dwight E. Harken, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Performed the first successful intracardiac surgical procedures
1988
J. Willis Hurst, MD
Cardiologist
Edited and contributed to The Heart, a widely used cardiology text
1989
Robert J. Hall, MD
Cardiologist
Known for his ability to teach the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease
1990
Sol Sherry, MD
Cardiologist
Pioneered the use of thrombolytic therapy to treat blood clots
1992
Arthur S. Keats, MD
Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist
Developed methods to make heart surgery safer for children and adults
1997
Aldo R. Castaneda, MD, PhD
Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgeon
Advocated early (neonatal) repair of complex congenital heart defects
1997
Julio C. Palmaz, MD
Radiologist
Invented the first successful intravascular stent
1998
Sir Magdi Yacoub, FRCS
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Pioneered heart–lung transplantation surgery
1999
Thomas J. Fogarty, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Developed numerous medical and surgical devices for treating cardiovascular diseases
2004
James L. Cox, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Developed surgical techniques to definitively treat atrial fibrillation
2004
Stephen Westaby, BSc, MS, PhD, FRCS
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Initiated first clinical trial of axial-flow devices for destination therapy and made significant contributions to the scientific literature based on his extensive surgical experience
2007
Charles E. Mullins, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist
Known for his dedication to teaching and his pioneering work in developing interventional techniques for treating congenital heart
2008
O.H. Frazier, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for his contributions to the field of heart transplantation and his pioneering efforts in the research and development of the LVAD
2009
James T. Willerson, MD
Cardiologist
Honored in recognition of his contributions to the understanding of the development and identification of unstable atherosclerotic plaques, the mechanisms responsible for acute coronary syndromes, and for his seminal work with cardiac stem cells
2010
Charles D. Fraser, Jr., MD
Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for his program known worldwide for its excellence, its creativity and its ideal outcomes in correcting congenital cardiovascular disease in children
2011
Patrick W. Serruys, MD, PhD
Interventional Cardiologist
Recognized worldwide for major contributions to interventional cardiology and for the development of a drug-eluting stent
2012
George J. Reul, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for his long and meritorious career as both a surgeon and a medical educator
2013
Alain G. Cribier, MD
Interventional Cardiologist
Recognized for his outstanding contributions to interventional cardiology
2014
Sir Terence English, KBE
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for establishing the internationally renowned heart transplant program at Papworth Hospital near Cambridge, where he performed Britain’s first successful heart transplant in 1979
2015
Delos (Toby) Cosgrove, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for scientific achievements, contributions to healthcare quality and delivery
2016
David A. Ott, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for significant contributions to cardiovascular surgery.
2017
Joseph S. Coselli, MD
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Recognized for his innovative work in aortic aneurysm surgery.
2019
Emerson Perin, MD, PhD
Cardiologist, Interventionalist, and Clinical Scientist
Recognized for his major contributions to regenerative medicine and stem cell research and developer of novel stem cell approaches to treat patients with ischemic cardiomyopathies and heart failure.
2020
Christine Seidman, MD
Identifying the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with and without obstruction, and more recently, development of small molecules that help patients with HCM and HOCM.
2023
Tirone David, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
World-renowned for pioneering surgical innovation and procedures to treat patients with heart valve disease, complications of myocardial infarction, and diseases of the thoracic aorta.
2024
Dr. Gary Roubin
Pioneering work in coronary artery and carotid stenting and developing the first FDA-approved coronary stent.
