Volunteer Structure
Volunteer scientists establish and direct the American Heart Association's research policies and programs. In partnership with science volunteers, AHA staff provide administrative support to implement the plans.
The AHA Research Committee and Subcommittees are composed of research volunteers nominated by affiliates and scientific councils. The AHA Research Committee ensures that all research award programs are administered according to published standards. The AHA Research Committee recommends research policy for the association, ensures quality peer review through a consistent process and evaluates program success.
Subcommittees, made up of AHA Research Committee members and other volunteers, are responsible for the oversight of:
- Maintaining a progressive portfolio of award offerings
- Recommending allocation of funds based upon program priorities and the scientific merit of applications.
- Long-range planning.
- Topics relevant to the scientific community.
- Strategic partnerships with other organizations.
Peer Review Committees with expertise in particular scientific areas conduct the actual evaluation of scientific merit of research applications.
Peer Review Committees include scientist volunteers who have experience in biomedical, clinical, population, and translational research. The chairman and co-chairman of each committee are responsible for recruiting members familiar with the science that will be reviewed. All association Peer Review Committees must adhere to association-wide standards established for peer review.
One element of the AHA’s strategic research direction is the inclusion of lay reviewers to the peer review process. A lay reviewer may be assigned to assess an application’s potential impact on the AHA mission. Lay reviewers are individuals without formal training as scientists who have strong interest in advancing the prevention and/or management of heart diseases and stroke and assisting in review of American Heart Association research applications.
2018-19 AHA Research Committee
| Chairperson: Joseph Wu, MD, PhD Director Stanford Cardiovascular Institute |
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| Brooke Aggarwal, EdD, MS, CHES Associate Research Scientist Columbia University Medical Center |
Matthew Allison MD, MPH, FAHA Professor & Interim Chief University of California, San Diego |
| Mary Ann Bauman, MD Medical Director INTEGRIS Health |
Sonal Bhatia, MD Vice President Pfizer Innovative Healt |
| Maria C. Carrillo, PhD Chief Science Officer Alzheimer's Association |
Esa Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP Director, UPMC Tobacco Treatment Associate Professor of Medicine & Clinical and Translational Science University of Pittsburgh |
| Meredith Fort, PhD, MPH Research Assistant Professor Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health Colorado School of Public Health |
David C. Goff Jr., MD, PhD Director National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute |
| R. Ariel Gomez, MD, FAHA Harrison Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Biology University of Virginia School of Medicine |
Adrian Hernandez, MD, MPH Director Duke Clinical Research Institute |
| Steven R. Houser, PhD, FAHA President, AHA Professor, Temple University |
Daniel W. Jones, MD Former Chancellor University of Mississippi Medical Ctr |
| Miyong Kim, RN, PhD, FAAN, FAHA Associate Vice President, Community Health Engagement - University of Texas at Austin La Quinta Centennial Endowed Professor University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing |
Walter J. Koroshetz, MD Director National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke |
| William Mahle MD, FAHA Children’s Healthcare of Atlant |
Keisa W. Mathis, PhD, FAHA Assistant Professor University of North Texas Health Science Center |
| Kristin Newby, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology Duke University Medical Center |
Thomas J. Wang, MD Friesinger Professor of Medicine Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute |
| William H. Roach, Jr. Retired Partner McDermott Will & Emery LLP |
Carlos J. Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACC, FAHA Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Medicine Wake Forest School of Medicine |
| Mintu Turakhia, MD, MAS, FHRS FACC, FAHA Associate Professor of Medicine, Stanford University Executive Director, Stanford Center for Digital Health Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System |
2018-19 Research Subcommittees
Bioethics Subcommittee
| Chairperson: William H. Roach, Jr., MS, JD Retired Partner McDermott Will & Emery, LLP |
Vice Chairperson: Sean M. Wu, MD, PhD, FACC Cardiovascular Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine |
| Myron Hinsdale, PhD Associate Professor Department of Physiological Sciences Center for Veterinary Health Sciences Oklahoma State University, Stillwater |
Michael Kalichman, PhD Research Ethics Program University of California, San Diego |
| Lay Stakeholder: Debra W Lockwood, BSA, MBA, CPA President and CFO Provident Resources Group |
M. William Lensch, PhD Dean’s Chief of Staff Harvard Medical School |
| Kiran Musunuru, MD, PhD, MPH, FAHA Associate Professor of Medicine Departments of Medicine and Genetics University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine |
Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Pediatrics (Stem Cell Transplantation) Stanford University School of Medicine |
| Rose Marie Robertson, MD, FAHA Chief Science & Medical Officer American Heart Association |
Daniela Valdez-Jasso, PhD Assistant Professor of Bioengineering University of California at San Diego |
Open Science Subcommittee
| Chairperson: Thomas J. Wang, MD Friesinger Professor of Medicine Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute |
Scientific Publishing Representative Matthew Allison, MD, MPH, FAHA Professor and Interim Chief Division of Preventive Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health University of California San Diego |
| Scientific Publishing Representative Gregory L. Burke, MD, MSc Professor and Chair, Division of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest School of Medicine |
Scientific Publishing Representative Angela Cochran Director, Journals American Society of Civil Engineers |
| Research Representative Juan Crestenello, MD Professor of Surgery Director, Division of Cardiac Surgery The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center |
Scientific Publishing Representative Susan King, PhD Executive Director Rockefeller University Press |
| Research Representative Celina Mei Yong, MD Clinical Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine Stanford University |
Scientific Publishing Representative Karen Young, MD Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine |
Ex-Officio Members |
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| Research Committee Chairperson: Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, FAHA Director, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute Professor, Dept of Medicine/Cardiology & Radiology Stanford University School of Medicine |
Scientific Publishing Committee Chairperson: N. A. Mark Estes, III, MD Professor of Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine Director, New England Cardiac Arrhythmia Center Tufts Medical Center |
Peer Review Subcommittee
| Chairperson: L. Kristin Newby, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA Professor of Medicine, Cardiology Co-Director, Duke Cardiac Care Unit Duke University Medical Center |
Norrina Allen, PhD Assistant Professor Preventive Medicine -- Epidemiology Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine |
| Russell DeBose-Boyd, PhD Professor of Molecular Genetics University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
Jonathan Butler, PhD Postdoctoral Scholar Department of Medicine- Cardiology University of California, San Francisco |
| Owen McCarty, PhD, FAHA Professor and Interim Chair Department of Biomedical Engineering Oregon Health & Science University |
Timothy A. McKinsey, PhD Associate Professor School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology University of Colorado, Denver |
| Lay Stakeholder: Deby Pitts Urban Muse |
John J. Ryan, MD, FACC, FAHA Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine University of Utah School of Medicine |
| Omaida C. Velazquez, MD, FACS Professor University of Miami Miller School of Medicine |
Stella L. Volpe, PhD, RD, LDN, FACSM Professor and Chair Department of Nutrition Sciences Drexel University |
Portfolio Management Subcommittee
| Chairperson: Miyong Kim, RN, PhD, FAAN, FAHA Associate Vice President, Community Health Engagement La Quinta Centennial Endowed Professor, School of Nursing University of Texas at Austin |
Lay Stakeholder: Rita Hernandez-Figi Vice President of Human Resource Services MedHQ |
| Eldrin F. Lewis, MD, MPH, FACC Associate Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School |
G. Paul Matherne MD, MBA Dammann Professor of Pediatrics Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs Associate Chief Medical Officer University of Virginia Children’s Hospital |
| Louise D. McCullough, MD, PhD Roy M. & Phyllis Gough Huffington Distinguished Chair Chief of Neurology, Memorial Hermann Hospital – Texas Medical Center (TMC) Co-director, Mischer Neuroscience Institute University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School |
Paul Muntner, PhD Professor and Vice Chair Department of Epidemiology University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Marco Perez, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine Stanford University Medical Center |
Erika Piedras-Rentería, PhD Associate Professor Cell & Molecular Physiology Loyola University Chicago |
| Kathryn Sandberg, PhD Director, CSD Professor, Nephrology & HTN PhD Program Director, Physiology Georgetown University Medical Center |