(Leinwand, Leslie Anne - 2017) -- Distinguished Scientist
Overview
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Leslie Leinwand is CU Boulder’s first recipient of the American Heart Association’s annual Distinguished Scientist award. She is being recognized for her significant contributions to the field of heart health related to her use of fats from python hearts on mammals, and the cardiovascular differences between women and men. Most of Leinwand’s career has focused on personalizing cardiovascular care through two major research themes: the role of one’s sex on heart health, and the search for new solutions to treat heart disease in humans (in this case, by studying Burmese pythons). For both areas of research, Leinwand looked beyond common assumptions and found new solutions to old problems, including finding three new types of lipids (or fats) in the bloodstreams of Burmese pythons that could theoretically be applied to human medicine after further testing. Leinwand is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a National Academy of Inventors fellow, and helped found the intercampus University of Colorado Cardiovascular Institute, which integrates cardiovascular research, treatment and discovery across the Anschutz Medical and Boulder campuses.
