Eric Jeffrey Topol (born 1954) is an American cardiologist, geneticist, and digital medicine researcher. Before moving to Scripps in 2006, Topol served as chairman of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic (1991-2005) and founded the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Topol was one of the first researchers to question the cardiovascular safety of rofecoxib (Vioxx), culminating in the drug's ultimate withdrawal from the market. Topol's advocacy on the subject led to what The New York Times described as an "unusually public dispute" with the Cleveland Clinic's leadership over ties between the academic institution and the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately leading to Topol's departure from the Clinic after his administrative position as head of the Clinic's academic program was abolished.
