The interventional cardiology community is mourning the loss of Prof Anthony "Tony" Gershlick, MBBS, who died November 20 of COVID-19. He was 69.
Gershlick was a "talented, dedicated and much loved colleague," reads a statement issued by the University of Leicester, where he was affiliated for more than three decades.
Gershlick, a consultant cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital and professor of interventional cardiology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom, passed away in the intensive care unit of the hospital where he worked.
Prof Nishan Canagarajah, president and vice-chancellor, University of Leicester, said Gershlick "left an indelible mark on the life of the University. He will be remembered with great affection by all and will be sorely missed."
In 2017, Gershlick was honored with the inaugural British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) Lifetime Achievement Career Award for his "outstanding contribution to the specialty of coronary intervention."
Gershlick was a pioneer in the field of percutaneous coronary intervention. He was the first UK cardiologist to implant a drug-eluting stent and a bioabsorbable stent, according to an article in the European Heart Journal.
Throughout his career, Gershlick had been involved in "practice-changing" research that changed the way patients are treated and led to national and international guidelines.
