Eugene Blackstone, MD, is full-time head of Clinical Investigations at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, and staff member of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Quantitative Health Sciences and Transplant Center. Dr. Blackstone is board-certified as Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners and as a Fellow, American College of Cardiology. At Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Blackstone heads a multidisciplinary clinical research team focused on ischemic and valvar heart diseases, heart rhythm disturbances, heart failure (including transplantation, ventricular assist devices and alternatives to transplantation), and benign and malignant diseases of the esophagus and lungs. Since 1987, Dr. Blackstone has been Associate Editor of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. In 2005, he became an editorial consultant for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. He has published more than 500 articles and has received numerous awards