America's leading doctors: from treating heart disease to fighting cancer, These physicians are changing world of medicine.

"The new company catalyzes the work of what we've been doing. We hope to bring this to market at an exponential pace," Laurencin says. He also finds time to speak about health disparities in the African American community, while mentoring African American and other ethnic minority students. Under his leadership, the University of Virginia's orthopaedic program boasts a 35% African American enrollment (the national percentage is 2%).

--Sonya A. Donaldson

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Specialty: Nuclear Cardiology

Jennifer Mieres, M.D.

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Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Nuclear Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine

A NATIVE OF TRINIDAD, WEST INDIES, MIERES IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERT on cardiovascular disease and its life-threatening effects on women. As such, she has become one of the nation's leading advocates for women adopting a more heart-healthy lifestyle. "Since 1984 more women than men have died from heart disease in the U.S. so I made this my focus," she asserts. "I want to send a message to women that heart disease can be prevented. Simple lifestyle changes can have an impact."

Mieres oversees four physicians and the training of at least two or three rotating fellows at NYU School of Medicine. Mieres, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, was one of the pioneers in the area of nuclear cardiology which applies noninvasive techniques to evaluate the blood flow to the heart muscle as well as target the size and location of heart attacks. Heavily involved in clinical cardiovascular research in women, the Boston University School of Medicine graduate chaired the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology's Task Force on Women and Coronary Artery Disease and currently serves as one of the lead investigators of a national study to determine the optimal noninvasive test for women with suspected heart ailments.

Mieres' has been routinely tapped by the media to discuss such health issues. In fact, she earned an Emmy nomination for her 2002 PBS documentary, A Woman's Heart and she authored a highly acclaimed book on the topic, Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas, that was released earlier this year. Both projects, she says, were vehicles to increase awareness and empower women--especially minorities--to become more proactive about maintaining their health.

--Tracey Brown

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Specialty: Surgery

James "Butch" Rosser Jr., M.D.

Name: Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery Morehouse School of Medicine; Director, Advanced Medical Technology Institute

ACROSS THE GLOBE, ROSSER IS KNOWN FOR HIS TECHNIQUES IN MINIMALLY invasive surgery. "When you don't have to cut people open with big incisions, they are able to have less pain, get back to work. and be more productive," he says.

He has successfully performed more than 3.000 procedures, including laparoscopic surgery, on some of the youngest patients at 15.17. and 19 months old. He also holds two patents and has invented several medical products.

Rosser is a pioneer in using video games as a tool to help surgeons perform faster, error-tree operations. More than 5,000 surgeons worldwide have completed his "Top Gun Laparoscopic Skills and Suturing Program," in which video games are used as part of a physician's curriculum. He has also made major advances in telemedicine, coaching doctors in Central America to handle complex procedures.

--Cliff Hocker

The following physicians are listed by their board certifications:

ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

Michael A. LeNoir, M.D.

Title: CEO and Medical Director, Bay Area Multicultural Clinical Research and Prevention Center; President, Ethnic Health Institute at Summit Medical Center; Associate Clinical Professor in Pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco

Specialties: Pediatrics, Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

LeNoir has been a practicing allergist and pediatrician for 25 years. He has been active in both clinical and academic medicine. He is a nationally recognized expert in treating asthma in the African American community and inner cities. LeNoir founded the Ethnic Health Institute in Oakland, California.

ANESTHESIOLOGY

Emery N. Brown, M.D., Ph.D.

Title: Professor of computational Neuroscience, Health Sciences and Technology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital; Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School

Specialty: Anesthesiology

A practicing clinical anesthesiologist, Brown continues to conduct groundbreaking research on developing algorithms to interpret brain signals, which can be applied in research on the use of motor signals in prosthetic devices such as robotic arms for people with spinal cord injuries or neurodegenerative diseases.

David G. Nichols, M.D., M.B.A.

Title: Mary Wallace Stanton Professor, Vice Dean for Education, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Specialty: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Nichols is the editor-in chief for a number of leading textbooks in pediatric critical care medicine and sits on the board of directors for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nichols received the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics section of Critical Care Medicine.

CARDIOLOGY

Augustus O. Grant, M.D., Ph.D.

Title: Vice Dean for Faculty Enrichment, Duke University Medical Center

Specialty:. Cardiology

Grant is professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. He is the past president of the American Heart Association. A fellow of both the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, his research and clinical efforts focus on treating cardiac arrhythmias.

Christopher J.W.B. Leggett, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Title: Director of Cardiology, Medical Associates of North Georgia

Specialty: Interventional Cardiology

Recognized for his substantial contributions internationally, Leggett is one of the leading interventional cardiologists in the country. He is an expert in the use of endovascular interventional technology, including treatments for vascular disease. Leggett practices at St. Joseph's, Piedmont, and Northside hospitals in Metro Atlanta.

Elizabeth O. Ofili, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C.

Title: Chief of Cardiology, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Clinical Research Center, and Associate Dean of Clinical Research, Morehouse School of Medicine

Specialty: Cardiology

A past president of the National Association of Black Cardiologists, Ofili has made more than 600 scientific presentations on hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and women's health. The U.S. Congressional Physician Advisory Board named her physician of the year in 2003.

CARDIOLOGY

Lynne Perry-Bottinger, M.D., F.A.C.C

Title: Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University; Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Specialty:. Clinical and Interventional Cardiology

Perry-Bottinger focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. She is knowledgeable in cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology. She is a regular guest on major network television shows, serving as an expert on heart conditions and other medical topics.

DERMATOLOGY

Eliot F. Battle Jr., M.D.

Title: Co-Founder and Director of Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Surgery, Cultura Cosmetic Medical Spa

Specialty: Cosmetic Dermatology and Laser Surgery

Battle's Washington, D.C., medical practice merges dermatology, laser surgery, plastic surgery, spa therapy, and pharmacy. He is an authority on cosmetic laser therapy on darker skin types. His laser research at Harvard helped pioneer the new generation of noninvasive "color blind" cosmetic lasers.

Fran E. Cook-Bolden, M.D.

Title: Director, Skin Specialty Group and Ethnic Skin Specialty Group; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University

Specialty: Dermatology

Cook-Bolden is noted for her cutting-edge dermatologic care for all skin types. She has been a leading researcher in both cosmetic and medical dermatology in the treatment of ethnic skin. In addition to running her private practices, she is founder and director of the Acne and Pigmentation Treatment Centers in New York.

Charles E. Crutchfield III, M.D.

Title: Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, University of Minnesota; Founder, Crutchfield Dermatology

Specialty: Medical & Cosmetic Dermatology

One of the nation's leading dermatologists, this Eagan, Minnesota, doctor has handled hundreds of cases involving ailments such as psoriasis, vitiligo, laser surgery, atopic dermatitis, cosmetic procedures (including Botox treatments and alphahydroxy skin peels), and ethnic skin conditions.

Peggy A. Fuller, M.D.

Title: Dermatologist/Medical Director, Esthetics Center for Dermatology

Specialty:. Dermatology

Fuller is founder and medical director of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Esthetics Center for Dermatology. The top-rated physician is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, and a member of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons.

Pearl E. Grimes, M.D.

Title: Director, The Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California

Specialty: Dermatology