2026 Established Investigator Award for Clinical Hypertension – Annet Kirabo, DVM, MSc, PhD, FAHA

Annet Kirabo, DVM, MSc, PhD, FAHA

Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation
Nashville, Tennessee

Annet Kirabo, DVM, MSc, PhD, FAHA, is a globally recognized leader in cardiovascular immunology whose discoveries have fundamentally advanced understanding of hypertension. Her seminal research established that lipid oxidation-derived isolevuglandin-protein adducts serve as neoantigens that activate antigen-presenting cells in hypertension and vascular injury.

Dr. Kirabo is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt Health, where she directs a multidisciplinary research program spanning fundamental discovery, translational investigation, and human studies. By integrating immunology, vascular biology, genomics, metabolomics, and single-cell technologies, her laboratory continues to define molecular mechanisms of salt-sensitive hypertension and develop innovative precision-based therapeutic strategies.

Her research has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health through multiple R01 and Program Project grants and has generated more than 230 peer-reviewed publications. Beyond her scientific contributions, Dr. Kirabo has helped shape the direction of cardiovascular research through national leadership in the American Heart Association, service on NHLBI study sections, editorial appointments with leading cardiovascular journals, and mentorship of the next generation of investigators.

Her sustained record of scientific excellence has been recognized with numerous national honors, including the American Heart Association Harry Goldblatt Award, Joseph A. Vita Award and ScholarGPS designation among the top 0.05% of hypertension researchers worldwide.

As the inaugural recipient of the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award for Clinical Hypertension, Dr. Kirabo is recognized for discoveries that have permanently influenced the field and continue to drive innovation in cardiovascular science.