Early 2026 – Distinguished Scientist nominations open.
Distinguished Scientists
The Distinguished Scientist award honors American Heart Association professional members who have made extraordinary contributions to cardiovascular and stroke research.
The American Heart Association's Distinguished Scientists are a prominent group of scientists and clinicians whose work has advanced our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. This award was created to recognize our members for their significant, original, and sustained scientific contributions that have advanced the Association's mission to be a “relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives”. Recipients of this prestigious award are honored annually at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
2025 AHA Distinguished Scientists Awardees
Donna K Arnett PhD, MPH, FAHA
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Christie Ballantyne, MD, FAHA
Baylor College of MedicineHouston, Texas
Daniel Kelly, MD, FAHA
University of Pennsylvania
Perelman School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Steven E. Lipshultz, MD, FAHA, FAAP
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, FAHA, FACC
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio
Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York