Irish America magazine will celebrate the Irish America Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 honorees with Dr. Garret FitzGerald as the inaugural keynote speaker.

Dr. FitzGerald is the McNeil Professor in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he chairs the Department of Pharmacology and directs the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.

His ground-breaking research has been characterized by an integrative approach to elucidating the mechanisms of drug action, drawing on work in cells, model organisms and humans. His work contributed substantially to the development of low-dose aspirin for cardio- protection.

The Irish America Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 list and reception is co-presented by ICON plc, one of the leading clinical research companies in the world, headquartered in Dublin. The award recognizes the work of Irish-American and Irish-born medical professionals who are contributing every day to the health and wellness of our communities, from pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biotechnology to research and development, disease prevention, and life sciences venture capital. The honorees are profiled in the August/September issue of Irish America magazine.

‪“We are delighted to have such a distinguished and varied inaugural group of honorees,” says Irish America co-founder and editor-in-chief Patricia Harty. “The work our honorees are doing in their individual fields raises the global profile of Irish and Irish American medical professionals and is one of the key motivators behind the growth of life sciences industries in Ireland.”‬‬

Among the honorees are Dr. Kevin Cahill, whose patients have included Pope John Paul II and Ronald Regan; Michael Dowling, an Irish America Business 100 keynote speaker and former director of Health, Education, and Human Services under New York State Governor Michael Cuomo; Dr. Bill and Kathy McGee, co-founders of Operation Smile; Dr. Garrett O’Connor, founding president of the Betty Ford Institute for drug and alcohol addiction treatment; Dr. Joseph O’Neill, former director of the Office of National AIDS Policy under President George W. Bush, and Nobel laureate Dr. James Watson, who discovered the double helix structure of DNA.

ICON is a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries and is one of Ireland’s most successful indigenous companies. The company specializes in the strategic development, management and analysis of programs that support clinical development - from compound selection to Phase I-IV clinical studies. ICON currently employs approximately 11,000 employees in 38 countries.

After over 25 years in print, Irish America magazine is the leading national glossy publication of Irish interest in North America. Since its inception in October 1985, Irish America has become a powerful vehicle for expression on a range of political, economic, social and cultural themes that are of paramount importance to the Irish in the United States. It has helped re-establish the Irish ethnic identity in the U.S. (34.7 million according to the last U.S. census) and highlights the best political and business leaders, organizations, artists, writers and community figures among the Irish in America.

The Irish America Healthcare and Life Sciences 50 awards will take place on Thursday, September 25, at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.

For information on event reservations please contact Kate Overbeck at [email protected] or 212-725-2993 ext 119.