H. Robert Superko, MD, FACC, FAHA world renowned for his work in metabolic heart disease diagnosis and treatment, and genomics, has joined Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute as executive director, Center for Genomics and Human Health. Dr. Superko and his team will develop and conduct research studies that identify patients genetic susceptibility to heart disease, cancer and other chronic disease states and, most importantly, translate those findings into individualized treatment programs based on the person's unique genetic makeup.

Genomics, or the ability to tailor treatment specifically to a patient based on their genetic makeup and the makeup of their disease, is the future of medicine, and Robert Superko is one of the world's leaders in the field, says Nicolas Chronos, MD, president of the Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute. He will develop protocols for physicians that can be used around the world to provide patient's with the most advanced, targeted therapy for specific diseases.

Saint Joseph's Research Institute and the Translational Research Institute are engaged in pre-clinical and clinical research, bench to bedside medicine, that offers rapid translation of research laboratory findings into patient treatments. Dr. Superko is credited with being the first to develop individualized heart disease treatment based on 12 different subclasses of cholesterol-carrying particles that contribute to heart failure and death. Through blood tests, physicians can identify a patient's individual risk factors for heart disease and prescribe the proper treatment, established by federally-funded research, that significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and death.

"Saint Joseph's is unique in its research capabilities and programs as a non-academic institution in Atlanta and around the country", says Dr. Chronos. Research and trials conducted here may be translated to more effective treatments that could reduce the costs of health care.

The Center for Genomics and Human Health is the first and only such program of its kind in Georgia. Dr. Superko is currently working with the Gwinnett County Fire Department on a federally-funded Firefighter and Heart Disease program. He also is creating a Cardiogenomic Registry and working to establish the Family Heart Disease Program at Saint Joseph's.

A family history of heart disease and genetic tests have been found to be very high predictors of heart disease and recent scientific advances allows this knowledge to be translated into practical patient care. By applying lessons learned at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Superko can identify individuals at very high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), particularly within families. With this knowledge, appropriate early interventions can be taken to prevent a nonfatal or fatal event. Saint Joseph's is the first hospital in the United States to have a clinically-viable Family Heart Disease Clinic, staffed by cardiology Fellows associated with the Saint Joseph's Heart and Vascular Institute (SJHVI).