Boston University Professor Honored with Prestigious Mentorship Award for Cardiovascular Research Training

Emelia J. Benjamin, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, professor of medicine at Boston University, will receive the 2025 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, to be held Nov. 7-10, 2025, in New Orleans, represents a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. Dr. Benjamin will be recognized with the award during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.

Named for legendary cardiologist Eugene Braunwald, the award honors an individual with a sustained record of excellence in teaching and mentoring the next generation of faculty researchers, educators and health care professionals. Recipients are recognized for their lasting impact on cardiovascular care and research through extensive mentoring of residents and fellows. Dr. Benjamin has developed and led ongoing faculty development programs that support early- and mid-career clinicians and researchers from diverse backgrounds. She has directed multi-institutional research fellowships supported by the Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including an ongoing international atrial fibrillation genetics fellowship and an NIH K12 program, Boston University Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health.

The legacy of Dr. Benjamin's career is reflected in the success of her trainees, with many receiving NIH Career Development Awards and launching numerous careers in cardiovascular research. In her numerous roles for the Heart Association, Dr. Benjamin has been a strong advocate for early-career scientists, including serving as former chair of the Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology to develop a strong Early Career Committee. Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, stated that Dr. Benjamin's commitment to training diverse and talented early career professionals continues to shape the future of cardiovascular science and medicine.

Dr. Benjamin's research has focused on atrial fibrillation, mobile health, inflammation and chronic pain, and she has served as principal investigator or co-investigator for NIH-funded trials continuously since 1998. She has authored more than 800 peer-reviewed publications with a focus on the genetics, epidemiology, clinical outcomes and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Her leadership roles include co-chairing the 2008 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI's) Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Prevention Workshop, the NHLBI AF Working Group and contributing to the 2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation.

Among her many honors are several of the Heart Association's highest awards, including a Distinguished Scientist Award (2022), the Gold Heart Award (2016), and the Population Research Prize (2016). She was recognized with the Louis B. Russell Jr. Memorial Award for her work supporting women and people from diverse backgrounds in cardiovascular science and medicine and advancing equitable health in under-resourced communities. Dr. Benjamin has informally guided hundreds of colleagues and formally mentored more than 60 faculty members and trainees, many of whom have secured independent research funding and faculty positions around the world.