The American Heart Association has recognized a Boston physician with one of its most distinguished and historic honors.
Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been named the 2020 Research Achievement Award recipient for her outstanding lifetime contributions to cardiovascular research.
Dr. Manson is a cardiovascular epidemiologist, a population health leader and a principal investigator of numerous cardiovascular clinical research studies. Her research has focused on nutritional and lifestyle factors related to heart disease and diabetes, the role of estrogen in chronic disease, prevention of cardiovascular disease in women and population health promotion.
Dr. Manson will receive the award at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2020. The meeting will be held virtually from Friday, Nov. 13, to Tuesday, Nov. 17. The annual event showcases the latest in cardiovascular science.
American Heart Association President Dr. Mitchell S.V. Elkind credited Dr. Manson with making significant contributions to the understanding of the role of menopausal estrogen therapy in cardiovascular disease.
“Much of what we know today about women’s health and cardiovascular disease is a result of Dr. Manson’s pioneering efforts,” he said.
In addition to her role at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Manson is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has published more than 1,200 peer-reviewed articles, is the author or editor of several books and textbooks and is a highly cited researcher throughout the world.
In accepting her award, Dr. Manson thanked the many colleagues, staff and study volunteers she has worked with during her 30-year career.
“Population research and epidemiology, perhaps more than any other research field, involve teamwork and extensive collaborations – it takes a village and a community,” she said. “I am grateful to the American Heart Association and to the National Institutes of Health for their commitment to population research.”
Dr. Manson has been actively involved with the American Heart Association for most of her career and has been recognized with numerous awards from the organization. Previous awards include the Population Research Prize in 2010, the Distinguished Scientist Award in 2011 and the Ancel Key’s Lectureship Award in 2014. She also delivered the Distinguished Scientist Lecture at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019.
Dr. Manson earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She also completed her master and doctoral degrees in public health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.