Dr. Vladimir Hachinski is among a group of exceptional healthcare leaders who will be inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF). Dr. Hachinski, scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute, physician, London Health Sciences Centre, and a Distinguished University Professor in Clinical Neurological Sciences, is a world-renowned neurologist and has transformed the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the two greatest threats to the brain, stroke and dementia.
Medical Hall of Fame Laureates are individuals whose contributions to medicine and the health sciences have led to extraordinary improvements in human health. Pioneers in their field, they are role models for Canadians and an inspiration to our youth to pursue careers in the health sciences.
Dr. Hachinski and his colleagues David Cechetto and Shawn Whitehead, identified a link between Alzheimer’s and stroke and the brain’s insula role in sudden death, along with a host of concepts captured in his new terminology: multi-infarct dementia, leukoaraiosis, vascular cognitive impairment, and brain at risk stage.
"Dr. Hachinski is one of those rare original thinkers that can look beyond the immediate evidence and make innovative connections that have helped reveal the vascular origins of dementia. He is inspirational, and represents the huge potential of health research in Canada," says Dr. David Hill, scientific director, Lawson Health Research Institute.
Prior to the 1970's, stroke was untreatable. Together with John W. Norris, Dr. Hachinski, pioneered acute stroke units now the standard of care yielding the best outcomes for stroke patients of all ages, severities and kinds. He coined the term "brain attack" for stroke to emphasize urgency in dealing with stroke symptoms.
He led the adoption of a proclamation on behalf of the World Stroke Organization and all major international brain organizations aimed at uniting stroke and dementia communities in their joint prevention of stroke and potentially preventable dementias.
The eponymic Hachinski Ischemic Score (HIS) is now a standard means for identifying the treatable components of dementia. Dr. Hachinski has authored, co-authored, or co-edited 17 books and more than 800 frequently-cited scientific publications. He led the adoption of a proclamation on behalf of the World Stroke Organization and all major international brain organizations aimed at uniting stroke and dementia communities in their joint prevention of stroke and potentially preventable dementias.
