John B. Kostis, the John G. Detwiler Endowed Chair in Cardiology

Renowned authority on hypertension heads Cardiovascular Institute

John Kostis directs the Rutgers Cardiovascular Institute and is associate dean for cardiovascular research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He is a recognized authority on hypertension and its treatment, among other conditions.

He has served as chief of the coronary care unit at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, as well as its cardiac catheterization laboratories, the noninvasive cardiac laboratories, and the cardiology unit. He also has served on the hospital’s board of directors. He has participated in the study and development of more than 130 pharmacologic agents and devices and has held leadership positions in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceuticals industry.

Kostis earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He holds a doctorate from the University of Athens and did his postgraduate studies at Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an assistant professor of medicine.

He has served as associate editor of Cardiology and on the editorial boards of many scientific journals. He has held leadership positions at the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, the American Society of Hypertension, and the Northeast Lipid Association. He is a member of the Association of Professors of Medicine, the Association of University Cardiologists, the Council on Clinical Cardiology, the Council on Hypertension of the American Heart Association, and the European Society of Cardiology. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the International Society of Hypertension, the National Lipid Association, and the American College of Angiology.

In the Professor’s Own Words 

What achievements are you proudest of?

I am proud of my work in developing many pharmacologic agents (e.g. for high cholesterol and for high blood pressure) that have changed the way medicine is practiced all over the world. Also, I developed the first instrument for diagnostic ultrasound, a success mentioned in a congressional declaration.   

What aspects of your work are most personally fulfilling?

Taking care of my patients who have followed me for decades. Also, my presentations of my work at Rutgers in many parts of the world.  

What aspects of your work are most challenging?

The major challenge is to continue my clinical and research work without sufficient financial support.

This story is part of Rutgers University Foundation’s Endowed Chairs Impact series. Supporting professorships and research helps spark innovation and creativity here in New Jersey and beyond.