Speaker Profile
Suzanne Oparil

Suzanne Oparil MD, FACC, FAHA, FASH, FAPS

Cardiology, Internal Medicine
Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America

Connect with the speaker?

Dr. Oparil is a cardiologist with a special interest in the fundamental mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the development of novel treatments. She has made many groundbreaking observations in clinical medicine and continues to influence novel treatments for hypertension.

Early in her career, she observed that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) was capable of generating a vasoconstrictor hormone, angiotensin II. The work of Oparil and colleagues led to the development of ACE inhibitors. She identified endothelin as a major mediator of hypoxia-mediated pulmonary hypertension in animal models, a discovery that led to the development of endothelin receptor antagonists for the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Her recent research has led to important clues about how female sex hormones protect blood vessels.

Dr. Oparil is a member of a number of prestigious societies and holds important advisory positions with the NIH, including task forces, expert panels, and peer review and guidelines committees. She has received numerous honorary lectureships and distinguished awards for her contributions to the prevention and treatment of CVD.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES (Speaking, Spoken, and Authored)