David M. Capuzzi, MD, PhD, JMC '64, Directs New Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center

David M. Capuzzi, MD, PhD, JMC '64, has been appointed Director of the newly formed Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Capuzzi had been serving as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Lipid Disorders at Allegheny University Hospitals, where he had been since 1987.

Dr. Capuzzi brings years of experience in managing lipid disorders and other risk factors that accelerate cardiovascular disease. The focus of the new Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Jefferson will be the evaluation and preventive therapy of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Through his years of research and clinical care, Dr. Capuzzi has helped demonstrate that effective diagnosis and management of the factors that cause heart attack, stroke and related conditions can produce stabilization of the disease and even reversal.

"We are fortunate to have recruited a physican/scientist of Dr. Capuzzi's stature to head our new Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center," said Robert L. Capizzi, MD, Magee Professor and Chairman of Medicine, JMC, in announcing the appointment. "Dr. Capuzzi is a nationally recognized leader in the field of lipid disorders and will bring added expertise to not only our cardiology division but also Jefferson's multifaceted disease prevention programs."

Dr. Capuzzi has brought to the community his expertise in preventing cardiovascular disease by giving lectures and leading discussions on such topics as abnormalities of lipoprotein metabolism, cardiovascular disease, the pharmacologic and dietary therapy of lipid disorders, diabetes and atherosclerosis, endocrine aspects of hyperlipidemia therapy and estrogen replacement therapy.

Dr. Capuzzi's work has been published in leading national journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Cell Biology, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the American Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, and the Journal of Cell Biology. His professional memberships include the Council on Arteriosclerosis of the American Heart Association, the American College of Physicians, the Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, the American Association for Clinical Endocrinologists, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the State and City Medical Societies and the Philadelphia Lipid Club.

Before attending Jefferson, Dr. Capuzzi received a BS degree from Saint Joseph's University. His PhD in physiological chemistry is from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism.

For more information about the Center or for an appointment, please call 1-800-JEFF-NOW.