GDT Guidant Corp

Guidant Corporation (NYSE:GDT) today announced that Dr. Giuseppe De Luca of Hospital De Weezenlanden, Zwolle, The Netherlands, has been selected to receive the third annual Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award. The award, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) and supported through an unrestricted grant by Guidant, was presented today at the annual scientific sessions of the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) Conference in Washington, D.C. The award honors the late Thomas J. Linnemeier, M.D., who was Guidant's senior vice president, New Ventures, and chief medical officer, Vascular Intervention. "It is our honor to present the third Thomas J. Linnemeier Spirit of Interventional Cardiology Young Investigator Award to Dr. De Luca," said Gregg W. Stone, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, New York, N.Y, vice chairman of CRF and a course director of TCT. "At this early stage in his career, Dr. De Luca has made significant contributions to the advancement of coronary disease treatment through his extensive research in and statistical analysis of primary angioplasty. He has published in more than 30 current publications, including 19 first-authored articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Circulation, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Heart and others. Dr. De Luca trained in general and interventional cardiology at the University of Naples, and specialized in interventional cardiology at De Weezenlanden Hospital in Zwolle. He has received several awards for abstract presentations at major scientific sessions, and is widely regarded by his mentors and peers as a committed and caring clinician. We are confident that Dr. De Luca will continue to build upon his early accomplishments and provide encouragement and inspiration to the next generation of interventional cardiologists." "We are pleased that Dr. De Luca has been named the recipient of the third annual Thomas J. Linnemeier award," said John M. Capek, Ph.D., president, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation. "Dr. De Luca's remarkable accomplishments thus far clearly continue the legacy of Tom Linnemeier, a widely respected and beloved interventional cardiologist who was known for his innovative spirit, tireless enthusiasm and personal dedication to patients. We remain committed to recognizing and supporting promising future leaders in the field of interventional cardiology through this award." The award recognizes present and future clinical and academic excellence in fellowship trainees and recent graduates in interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine, in order to stimulate future commitment and dedication to the dual tracks of patient care and academic investigation. Candidates must be current or recent trainees from a formal fellowship program specializing in interventional cardiology, peripheral intervention or their allied fields. Applicants may be from the United States or abroad. Guidant Corporation pioneers lifesaving technology, giving an opportunity for better life today to millions of cardiac and vascular patients worldwide. The company, driven by a strong entrepreneurial culture of 12,000 employees, develops, manufactures and markets a broad array of products and services that enable less invasive care for some of life's most threatening medical conditions. For more information, visit www.guidant.com. NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information about Guidant, including its products and services, please visit the company's newsroom at www.guidant.com/newsroom.