Thomas G. Diacovo MD

Dr. Thomas G. Diacovo, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and pathology and director of research for the neonatology and critical care medicine divisions within the Department of Pediatrics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, has been awarded the Lewis Katz Cardiovascular Research Prize for a Young Investigator, which recognizes a junior faculty member at Columbia University Medical Center with great promise for contribution to the study of cardiovascular disease.


“Dr. Willerson and Dr. Diacovo are both outstanding scientists, representing the highest level of excellence in cardiovascular research and education, which we hope to honor with the Katz Prizes,” said Allan Schwartz, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center. “Dr. Willerson’s long career of research breakthroughs and his history of training many of today’s outstanding cardiologists make him a leader in the field. Dr. Diacovo’s innovative investigations into the biophysical and structural mechanisms underlying blood clot formation hold great promise for expediting the development and testing of life-saving drugs to treat cardiovascular disease. It is a privilege to honor both of them with this award.

Dr. Diacovo was recruited to Columbia University in 2005 and is currently director of research in neonatal and critical care medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. He received his postdoctoral training in the field of cell adhesion at the Center for Blood Research at Harvard Medical School. There, he gained the experience and expertise that has enabled him to develop an animal model that not only mimics an inherited bleeding disorder in humans, but also provides a means to test drugs that can prevent or treat the formation of blood clots in patients at risk for stroke or heart attacks. Dr. Diacovo has gained national recognition for his research and was awarded the prestigious Young Investigator Prize by the American Heart Association. He is also a recipient of the 2007 Faculty Development Grant awarded by the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), which is given to individuals who show great promise in developing novel technologies for real world applications.