Dr. Rutherford was born and educated in New Zealand and in 1976 was awarded a traveling Research Fellowship of the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. From 1976-78 he was a Research Fellow in Medicine Harvard Medical School and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston and was recruited to the Harvard Faculty in 1978 as a Cardiologist. He was appointed Co-Director of the Samuel A. Levine Cardiac Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 1980.
In 1981 he returned to New Zealand as a Cardiologist at Green Lane Hospital in Auckland and served as a member of the Scientific Committee of the National Heart Foundation and as Honorary Secretary/Treasurer of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
In 1985 he returned to Harvard Medical School as Co-Director of the Clinical Cardiology Service at the Brigham and Women’ Hospital. He won the George W. Thorn Award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Education 1988-89.
He joined the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center as Professor of Medicine in 1993, and holder of the Gail Griffiths Hill Chair in Cardiology. In 1995, he received the Distinguished Physician Award in recognition of outstanding individual contribution to Parkland Memorial Hospital and in 1997 was appointed Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. He was President of the Medical Staff Parkland Health and Hospital Systems 1998-2000. In 2001, he was appointed Vice President of Clinical Operations, UT Southwestern Medical Center. In 2005 he was named the holder of the Jonsson-Rogers Chair in Cardiology. He has been selected as one of the Best Doctors in America from 2001 to 2008.
