Salim Yusuf

Salim Yusuf (1976, Clinical Medicine) is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University in Canada.  He currently holds the Marion W Burke Chair in Cardiovascular Disease at McMaster’s Medical School and is the Executive Director of the Population Health Research Institute.  Previously, he served as President of the World Heart Federation until 2015.

Salim was born in Kottarakkara in Kerala, India.  He studied for his undergraduate degree in Medicine in Bangalore at St John’s Medical College.  He then matriculated at St John’s, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar to undertake a DPhil. His doctoral thesis was entitled: 'Beta adrenergic blockade in myocardial infarction'.

Since 1992, when he moved to McMaster University, Salim has established an international programme of research in cardiovascular diseases and prevention involving over 100 countries. His studies have led to the evidence of the value of several treatments for the prevention of heart disease and strokes, and they have changed the way patients are treated worldwide. His recent work focuses on the causes of chronic diseases (especially heart diseases and strokes) in low and middle income countries where the majority of such conditions now occur.

Salim has received many international and national awards.  He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, named an Officer in the Order of Canada, was awarded the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.