INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 7, 2020) — BioCrossroads’ Board of Directors named esteemed “Father of Echocardiography” (Echo) Dr. Harvey Feigenbaum, as the recipient of the 2020 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award. The prestigious honor, named in tribute to BioCrossroads’ late Chairman August Watanabe, was given to Dr. Feigenbaum at today’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit for his unprecedented impact on cardiac health in Indiana and around the world.

Dr. Feigenbaum is recognized for pioneering the Echo, the most widely used cardiac imaging technique in the world. Dr. Feigenbaum has made numerous contributions to the medical profession that include developing the world’s first practical, long lasting use of echocardiography, the use of ultrasound to examine the heart, in 1965. He fought and overcame many years of skepticism by training many early world-wide pioneers in echocardiography and the first cardiac sonographer. He organized the first of numerous courses, lectures and workshops in Echo and wrote the first textbook on the subject in 1972, followed by multiple editions and translations.

He worked with many ultrasound instrument manufacturers and more recently served as a consultant for life sciences start-up KeLabs, which provides modeling software for quality control and web-based training of echocardiographers, sonographers and medical trainees.

Dr. Feigenbaum is a Distinguished Professor at the IU School of Medicine and a cardiologist at IU Health. His contributions to and influence on Indiana’s life sciences are numerous and include his research, medical practice, and teaching at the IU School of Medicine and contribution to the start-up community.

“I am quite moved to receive this award named for Gus Watanabe, who was a great leader and scientist at the IU School of Medicine and at Eli Lilly and Company,” said Dr. Harvey Feigenbaum. “Through the years, he was both my student and my supervisor, and always a good friend. I am very honored to be in the company of the past award winners who have had significant impact on the state of Indiana and beyond.”

A leading scientist in the cardiac field for decades, Dr. Feigenbaum is the founder and past president of the American Society of Echocardiography, and currently serves as the founding editor of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.

During his career, he has received awards and honors from numerous professional organizations. He was designated a Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association – the highest award the organization presents.

In 2000, the “Feigenbaum Lecture” was inaugurated at the American Society of Echocardiography annual meeting. He has received the Primio Mantevergine Award as “Father of Modern Echocardiography” in Naples, Italy and also was the recipient of the Pioneer Award from the Mayo Clinic for the development of Echo.

“Dr. Feigenbaum’s contribution to life sciences can’t be overstated,” said Patty Martin, president and CEO, BioCrossroads. “Tens of millions of echocardiograms are performed around the world every year. They are central to the assessment and management of cardiac disease and have saved millions of lives. Indiana’s life sciences sector is proud to have such an influential scientist and leader as part of our community.”

BioCrossroads presents the Watanabe Award annually to an individual or organization that has made or enabled unique achievements in the development of Indiana’s life sciences and healthcare research, clinical, educational or economic advancement.

Dr. Feigenbaum joins an impressive list of previous Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year award winners, including:

• Leonard Betley, retired chairman, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation
• Richard DiMarchi, Standiford H. Cox professor of Chemistry and the Linda & Jack Gill chair in Biomolecular Sciences at Indiana University. Co-founder of Ambrx, Inc., Marcadia Biotech, Calibrium and MB2.
• Dane A. Miller, founder of Biomet
• Bill Cook, founder of Cook Group
• Lilly Endowment, under the leadership of Chairman Thomas Lofton
• Phillip Low, Ralph C. Corley distinguished professor of Chemistry and director of the Purdue Center for Drug Discovery—Biochemistry, co-founder of Endocyte and On Target Laboratories
• Bill Eason, founder of Bio-Dynamics, predecessor to Roche Diagnostics
• John Lechleiter, former chairman, president and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company
• John Swisher, founder of JBS United
• Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Department of Public Health
• Anantha Shekhar, executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine
• Clem McDonald, chief health data standards officer of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

BioCrossroads Catalyst Award

Also, at today’s Indiana Life Sciences Summit, Indiana’s life sciences and healthcare communities were awarded the BioCrossroads Catalyst Award for their response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The BioCrossroads Catalyst Award has been designated by the BioCrossroads Board of Directors as an honor to an individual or organization who is an accelerator and activator in and across Indiana’s life sciences industry. The winner spurs innovation, activity and commitment essential to building the sector, beyond the benefit of any one individual or organization.

About BioCrossroads

BioCrossroads (www.biocrossroads.com) is Indiana’s initiative to grow, advance and invest in

the life sciences, a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, 16 Tech, Indiana Health Information Exchange,

Fairbanks Institute for HealthyCommunities, BioCrossroadsLINX, OrthoWorx and Datalys Center), expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.