William J. Elliott, MD, PhD, is Professor of Preventative Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pharmacology, and Head of the Division of Pharmacology at one of the newest medical schools in the US, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, WA. After receiving the BS (summa cum laude) from the University of Notre Dame, he earned an MD and PhD (in Bio-Organic Chemistry) from the University of Chicago. He trained in Internal Medicine and Pharmacology at Barnes Hospital and Washington University – St. Louis, and served as a member of the faculty of the University of Chicago from 1985-92. During the next 17 years at RUSH Medical College, he practiced, taught and did research on cardiovascular clinic pharmacology, focusing on epidemiologic studies of risk factors (including diagonal earlob creases), laboratory investigations, federally-funded cooperative clinical trials, and many industry-supported endeavors, serving as principal investigator for about 200 clinical trials of new drugs. Dr. Elliott holds Board Certification in both Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology. One of the inaugural “Specialists in Clinical Hypertension” and Fellows of the American Society of Hypertension, he contributed on five topics to the Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC VI), as well as to the “long version” of JNC 7. Some of his recent publications include analyses and meta-analyses of clinical trial results, putative risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cost-containment, pharmacoeconomics, and the assessment and enhancement of medication adherence. Dr. Elliott belongs to many professional societies interested in clinical pharmacology and in hypertension, including fellowship in the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Council. He has lectured on five continents, participated in the review process for many journals, societies, study sections, and funding agencies, and served as editor or co-editor for many books, monographs, and symposia. Among his honors are twelve awards for teaching excellence.
