Jason C. Kovacic

Jason Kovacic graduated with a degree in Medicine from the University of Melbourne{{Cite web |last=Gallagher-Fox |first=Ally |date=2020-09-15 |title=Professor Jason Kovacic |url=https://medicine.unimelb.edu.au/engage/alumni/chiron/professor-jason-kovacic |access-date=2021-11-02 |website=Melbourne Medical School |language=en}} in 1994. While undertaking his degree, Kovacic deferred his studies to compete in the 1986 Junior World Rowing Championships{{Cite web |title=The History of Australian Rowing by Andrew Guerin |url=https://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=www.rowinghistory-aus.info}} and to take up a Rowing Scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-11|title=What I learnt from being the Rolling Stones' doctor|url=https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/leaders/what-i-learnt-from-being-the-rolling-stones-doctor-20210503-p57oir|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}} While in Canberra, Kovacic completed a Bachelor of Medical Science degree in exercise physiology related to blood viscosity in elite rowers{{Cite journal|last1=Telford|first1=Richard|last2=Kovacic|first2=Jason|last3=Skinner|first3=S|last4=Hobbs|first4=J|last5=Hahn|first5=A|last6=Cunningham|first6=Ross|date=1994-02-01|title=Resting whole blood viscosity of elite rowers is related to performance|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15242376|journal=European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology|volume=68|issue=6|pages=470–6|doi=10.1007/BF00599515|pmid=7957137|s2cid=2287475}} at the AIS. Afterward, he resumed his Medicine studies in Melbourne, graduating in 1994. Kovacic also rowed for state of Victoria with members of the Oarsome Foursome and won the 1994 Australian Men's Interstate Eight-Oared Rowing Championship - The King's Cup.{{Cite web|title=1994 Interstate Championships - Australian Rowing History|url=https://www.australianrowinghistory.com.au/interstate-championships/1994.php#M8|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.australianrowinghistory.com.au}}

Kovacic undertook a residency at Prince of Wales Hospital, and cardiology specialty training at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.{{Cite web|title=Professor Jason Kovacic|url=https://www.victorchang.edu.au/about-us/our-scientists/prof-jason-kovacic|access-date=2021-11-02|website=The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute|language=en-US}} As a cardiology trainee in early 2003, Kovacic was the doctor for Rolling Stones for some of their Licks World Tour Australian shows. He completed his cardiology specialty training and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2003.{{Cite web|title=New ACvA Board Directors|url=https://www.ozheart.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/New-ACvA-Board-Directors.pdf}}

Kovacic pursued a PhD at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute focusing on the application of cell therapy to treat patients with refractory ischemic heart disease.{{Cite journal|last1=Kovacic|first1=Jason C.|last2=Macdonald|first2=Peter|last3=Feneley|first3=Michael P.|last4=Muller|first4=David W. M.|last5=Freund|first5=Judith|last6=Dodds|first6=Anthony|last7=Milliken|first7=Sam|last8=Tao|first8=Helen|last9=Itescu|first9=Silviu|last10=Moore|first10=John|last11=Ma|first11=David|date=November 2008|title=Safety and efficacy of consecutive cycles of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and an intracoronary CD133+ cell infusion in patients with chronic refractory ischemic heart disease: the G-CSF in angina patients with IHD to stimulate neovascularization (GAIN I) trial|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19061712/|journal=American Heart Journal|volume=156|issue=5|pages=954–963|doi=10.1016/j.ahj.2008.04.034|issn=1097-6744|pmid=19061712}} In 2007 he relocated to the US's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland where he undertook a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with the Director, Elizabeth Nabel.{{Cite web|title=School of Medical Sciences Seminar Series|url=https://medicalsciences.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/newsevents/events/2020%20SoMS%20Seminar%20Flyer_Dr%20Jason%20Kovacic_9%20September%202020.pdf|website=UNSW Medicine}} In 2009 Kovacic moved to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and after a further fellowship in interventional cardiology,{{Cite web|title=New Executive Director Jason Kovacic {{!}} Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute|url=https://www.victorchang.edu.au/news/new-executive-director-jason-kovacic|access-date=2021-11-02|website=The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute|language=en-US}} went on to become a faculty member in 2010. Kovacic went on to become board certified in both internal medicine and cardiology with the American Board of Internal Medicine.{{Cite web|title=Dr. Jason Kovacic, MD – New York, NY {{!}} Cardiology on Doximity|url=https://www.doximity.com/pub/jason-kovacic-md|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Doximity|language=en}}

As a physician-scientist, cardiologist and investigator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Kovacic established a cardiovascular research laboratory with an interest in the cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease{{Cite web|date=2016-08-12|title=About Us {{!}} Kovacic Laboratory|url=https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/kovaciclab/about-us/|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Kovacic Laboratory {{!}}}} His lab at Mount Sinai received its first NIH grant in 2010.

Kovacic's scientific achievements include successful investigator-initiated clinical studies of cardiovascular progenitor cell therapy,{{Cite web|title='Understanding the Cause of Fibromuscular Dysplasia and Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection'|url=https://medicalsciences.med.unsw.edu.au/news-events/understanding-cause-fibromuscular-dysplasia-and-spontaneous-coronary-artery-dissection|website=UNSW Medicine - News & Events}} molecular characterization of a novel vascular progenitor cell population unravelling the pathobiology of fibromuscular dysplasia and spontaneous coronary artery dissection, numerous basic and translational studies on the biology and manifestations of atherosclerosis, and studies regarding the role of endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in adult vascular biology and disease.{{Cite journal|last1=Kovacic|first1=Jason C.|last2=Dimmeler|first2=Stefanie|last3=Harvey|first3=Richard P.|last4=Finkel|first4=Toren|last5=Aikawa|first5=Elena|last6=Krenning|first6=Guido|last7=Baker|first7=Andrew H.|date=2019-01-22|title=Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Cardiovascular Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review|journal=Journal of the American College of Cardiology|volume=73|issue=2|pages=190–209|doi=10.1016/j.jacc.2018.09.089|issn=1558-3597|pmc=6865825|pmid=30654892}}

Kovacic also established a clinical practice as an interventional and clinical cardiologist.{{Cite web|title=Dr Jason Kovacic - St Vincents Clinic|url=https://www.stvincentsclinic.com.au/find-a-doctor/specialties/cardiology/jason-kovacic|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.stvincentsclinic.com.au}} From 2015 to 2020, Kovacic was the Associate Director of the Interventional Structural Heart Disease Program at Mount Sinai Hospital.{{Cite web|title=Pulse - Spring 2013|url=https://dspace.mssm.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/536/Pulse_040313_v1_sm-a.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y}}

Kovacic became full Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Mount Sinai Hospital,{{Cite web|title=Jason Kovacic {{!}} Mount Sinai - New York|url=https://www.mountsinai.org/profiles/jason-c-kovacic|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Mount Sinai Health System|language=en-US}} and in 2019 was the Director of Cardiovascular Translational Science and Acting Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In 2020 Kovacic became the Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Robert Graham Chair and Professor of Cardiovascular Research at the University of New South Wales. His cardiovascular research program spans Mount Sinai and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. He also works as a cardiologist at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney

• 1985 – Valedictorian of Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia.
• 1992 – Recipient of Academic Achievement Award from Australian Institute of Sport.
• 2005 – Australian Delegate to Lindau Nobel Prizewinners Meeting in Lake Constance, Germany.{{Cite web|title=Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting Alumni {{!}} Australian Academy of Science|url=https://www.science.org.au/opportunities/travel/nobel-laureates-meetings/lindau-nobel-laureate-meetings/lindau-nobel-laureates|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.science.org.au|language=en}}
• 2009 – Recipient of FARE award from National Institutes of Health.
• 2010 – Recipient of Dedication and Achievement Award, The Zena and Michael A. Weiner Cardiovascular Institute and The Marie-Josee and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health, Mount Sinai Medical Center.
• 2013 – Kovacic was recognized as an 'Emerging Leader' by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the American College of Cardiology.{{Cite web|title=Twelve Rising Interventional Cardiologists Selected for First-of-its-Kind Emerging Leader Mentorship Program|url=https://www.tctmd.com/news/twelve-rising-interventional-cardiologists-selected-first-its-kind-emerging-leader-mentorship|access-date=2021-11-03|website=TCTMD.com|date=26 February 2013 |language=en}}
• 2015 – Named an 'Elite Reviewer' by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
• 2017 – Kovacic was admitted into Mount Sinai LEAD Academy (Leadership Emerging in Academic Departments).
• 2018 – Kovacic received the Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Physician Communication{{Cite web |date=2019-01-07 |title=Honoring Excellence in Patient Communication {{!}} Mount Sinai Today |url=https://health.mountsinai.org/blog/honoring-excellence-in-patient-communication/ |access-date=2021-11-03 |website=health.mountsinai.org |language=en-US}} for ranking in the top 1% nationally in provider communication by CMS’s CG CAHPS patient experience survey and Deans Healthcare System Team Science Award for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (as PI of the DEFINE-FMD study).
• 2019 – Kovacic received the Founders Award from the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America.{{Cite web|title=FMDSA Official Site|url=https://fmdsa.org/|access-date=2021-11-03|website=FMDSA|language=en}}

Kovacic has given over 60 US and other international invited presentations and served on many US NIH committees and panels. He is Section Editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.{{Cite web|title=Editorial Board - Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Journal - Elsevier|url=https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-the-american-college-of-cardiology/journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-the-american-college-of-cardiology/editorial-board|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.journals.elsevier.com|language=en}} and an Editorial Board Member at the journals Vascular Medicine{{Cite web|title=SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class research journals|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/editorial-board/vmj|access-date=2021-11-03|website=SAGE Journals|language=en}} and Cardiovascular Research. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA)

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Category:Australian cardiologists

Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Caulfield Grammar School

Category:Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Category:Fellows of the American College of Cardiology

Category:University of Melbourne alumni

Category:University of New South Wales alumni