The Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS), a non-profit membership association of translational scientists from the nation’s leading academic medical centers, has awarded the Edward H. Ahrens Jr. Distinguished Investigator Award for Patient-Oriented Research Translation to Daniel J. Rader, chair of the department of genetics in the Perelman School of Medicine.

Dr. Rader is a physician-scientist who has made numerous contributions to the prevention of heart disease. He is a globally renowned expert in the genetics and physiology of lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis. Dr. Rader’s research efforts include identifying new genes and pathways involved in regulating lipoprotein metabolism and defining its role in atherosclerosis.

Additionally, Dr. Rader’s lab has shown that the ability of HDL to extract cholesterol from cells is a better predictor of coronary disease compared to its simple level in the blood. He has also made translational discoveries related to triglycerides, and his work in the area of rare diseases has resulted in FDA and European approval of lomitapide, the first effective medication for treating homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), a rare condition characterized by extremely high levels of LDL, leading to heart disease in children.