UCI’s Dr. Robert Detrano receives Yunnan Friendship Award for ChinaCal efforts

UCI radiological sciences professor Dr. Robert Detrano received the Yunnan Friendship Award from Gov. Chen Hao for his outstanding contributions to the people of this southern Chinese province. At a Sept. 24 reception, Hao honored 10 top foreign experts working in Yunnan. In 2005, Detrano founded the China California Heart Watch, a nonprofit group that brings together experts from around the world to combat the growing epidemic of heart disease in the Yunnan province. The overarching mission is to teach, improve access to care, and engage in research and advocacy. ChinaCal’s clinical volunteers – many of whom are UCI students – also conduct blood pressure and cardiovascular disease screenings. “I am hopeful that receiving the award will make others understand that there is a human need here that they can help fulfill,” Detrano said.