Ernest V. Garcia, PhD (Born 1948)
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Hospital Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Received Aug 18, 2020; accepted Aug 18, 2020 doi:10.1007/s12350-020-02352-5
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In 1985 Ernest Garcia, PhD published his landmark article ‘‘Quantification of rotational thallium-201 myocardial tomography’’.1 In this article he described the use of polar map display for quantitative analysis of tomographic regional myocardial perfusion. Dr. Garcia’s approach for displaying and quantifying myocardial perfusion was a true game-changer that led to the development of the Emory Cardiac ToolboxTM, a standard approach for image processing and analysis in nuclear laboratories worldwide. In this publication Garcia described a comprehensive computerized method of reducing complex threedimensional thallium-201 uptake data from numerous tomographic images, into a two-dimensional map of relative radiotracer distribution. The method used maximal-count circumferential profiles from multiple long and short axis tomographic slices. Abnormal regional thallium-201 uptake and washout was identified by automatic computer comparison of circumferential count profiles with the corresponding lower limits of normal. Myocardial perfusion abnormalities were
Reprint requests: Ignasi Carrio´, MD, PhD, Hospital Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain J Nucl Cardiol 1071-3581/$34.00 Copyright Ó 2020 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.
displayed in concentric rings and expressed in terms of extent and severity. By creating quantitative software for interpretation of myocardial images, Ernest Garcia revolutionized the clinical practice of nuclear cardiology. Prior to Garcia’s computerized approach, interpretation of nuclear images of the heart was largely a subjective skill and a form of art, to be honed by experience and training in nuclear cardiology. Ernest Garcia’s research work transformed subjective interpretation of images into an objective and standardized process. Ernesto V. Garcia was born on September 14, 1948 in Havana, Cuba. After the Castro revolution, 12-year old Ernest and his 1-year older brother fled to the USA as part of the 1960 exodus of middle-class Cuban children. On arrival in Miami, FL they stayed with a cousin and received official refugee status. They lived on welfare money until their grandparents, and one year later their parents, arrived in Miami. As a 12-year old, Ernest fantasized about becoming an invisible boy; he assumed that by learning physics he might be able to perform that trick. When he was 13, Ernest started middle school education in Miami. During after-school hours Ernie found time to play his saxophone in local bands. At 14 he regularly earned $5 per hour playing music; becoming the best paid member of his family. At the present time (2020) Ernie Garcia still plays his saxophone in a rock band, named the Thallium Stallions. In high school (1964–1967) Ernest was an outstanding student. The University of Miami discovered Ernie while he was a senior and offered him a full college scholarship for majoring in p
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