The World Heart Federation (WHF) Emerging Leaders Programme launched by Dr. Salim Yusuf – Executive Director of Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) and WHF Past President – is now known as the World Heart Federation Salim Yusuf Emerging Leaders Programme.
Fully supported individuals are designated as “Yusuf Scholars,” while other members of the Programme will continue to be known as WHF Emerging Leaders. Dr Yusuf created the WHF Emerging Leaders Programme in 2014, during his time as President-Elect of the Federation. It is among the first international training programmes on cardiovascular implementation research with its main objective being to build up capacity, professional development, mentorship and networking of CVD Emerging Leaders in 100 countries.
“I am honoured to support the WHF Emerging Leaders Programme, which will develop and train a new generation of individuals, from both developing and developed countries, to lead future clinical and population research to prevent and treat heart diseases and stroke. These efforts are aligned with the mission of PHRI and the WHF,” says Dr. Yusuf. ” Over the years that I served on the Board of the World Heart Federation, I have been impressed by the importance of the WHF’s global work and impact, despite its modest resources. The WHF’s potential reach and impact is enormous, and can benefit millions of people around the world.”
Twenty-five Emerging Leaders are selected each year through a competitive process. In 2018, the Programme focus was on stroke prevention, treatment and control. Previous cohorts of trainees have focused on access to essential medicines, secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, raised blood pressure, and tobacco prevention and control.
“Salim Yusuf has been an outstanding mentor for many clinician-scientists who have developed important careers in cardiovascular medicine. The WHF Emerging Leaders Program is another outstanding example of an area where Salim Yusuf has identified an important need and has stepped up to provide support to help generate the next generation of leaders,” notes Dr. Paul O’Byrne, Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.
“Salim Yusuf has been instrumental in developing world-class researchers locally, helping them to rapidly turn their learning into action,” says Dr. Ted Scott, Vice President Research & Chief Innovation Officer, Hamilton Health Sciences. “He has also demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the development of a sustainable future for research at Hamilton Health Sciences.”