Allen J. Taylor, MD, FACC, FAHA, is chief of cardiology at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, including MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. In his 20-year United States Army career at Walter Reed, Dr. Taylor served as director of cardiovascular research, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Training Program and chief of the cardiology service. He retired from military service in 2008 at the rank of Colonel, held the Army's "A" proficiency designator and was decorated with the Legion of Merit. He is professor of medicine at the Uniformed University of the Health Sciences, and Georgetown University.

Dr. Taylor's major research accomplishments include defining the role of lipid lowering therapy on carotid atherosclerosis, focusing on HDL cholesterol and the use of niacin. His pioneering work in the field of cardiac CT includes conducting long-term prospective outcomes trials, randomized clinical trials on the utility of the technique, and methods to enhance the safety and appropriateness of cardiovascular imaging. He has published four books and more than 180 manuscripts in journals such as Circulation, Journal of the American Medical Association and New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Taylor serves as founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cardiovascular CT, and as editor of the Braunwald's Heart Disease companion text atlas on cardiac CT. He is president of the Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging and Prevention, immediate past chair of the Imaging Council, current chair of the FOCUS campaign of the American College of Cardiology, and incoming president of the Certification Council of Cardiovascular Imaging.

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