
Distinguished Awards
The ACC Distinguished Awards recognize individuals making outstanding contributions to the cardiovascular profession. Learn more about each of these awardees and watch their videos below. Click here to read the full citations of all of the awardees listed below.

John S. Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, MACC
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Aurora, CO
Presidential Citation
Dr. Rumsfeld has played a visionary role in championing innovation, clinical registries and data-driven quality improvement to optimize cardiovascular patient care and outcomes throughout his career. Dr. Rumsfeld served as ACC's first-ever Chief Innovation Officer and played a critical leadership role in the evolution of the College's NCDR registries to ensure they remained relevant and successful in today's health care environment.

Paul Wayne Armstrong, MD, FACC
University of Alberta
Kingston, Canada
Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Armstrong is a world leader in cardiovascular (CV) medicine, with exceptional contributions and a lifetime of achievements spanning more than 50 years. He co-founded the VIGOUR network and has played a leadership role in design and implementation of numerous novel therapies worldwide. He has conducted transformative research in the pre-hospital treatment of acute heart attacks and was instrumental in implementing this treatment in Alberta, Canada's ambulances, which is credited with increasing patient survival rates.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC
Forrest General Hospital/
Hattiesburg Clinic
Hattiesburg, MS
Distinguished Fellow
An exemplary role model for service, scholarship, education, and mentorship, Dr. Waites epitomizes what it means to be an FACC. He has consistently served as a role model for others through his participation in a multitude of committees, task forces, working groups and leadership positions. He has a longstanding legacy in promoting cardiovascular health and has been a leading force for improved access to cardiovascular care in Mississippi for decades.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Eileen M. Handberg, PhD, ARNP, FACC
UF Health Shands Hospital
Gainesville, FL
Distinguished Cardiovascular Team Member
Eileen has made an indelible impact on the College through her contributions to develop and advance the role of nurses and a team-based approach to cardiovascular care. From serving as chair of the cardiovascular team section, to working as co-lead on ACC's Health Policy Statement on Advanced Practice Providers, Eileen has served on and strengthened the work of a multitude of ACC committees. Eileen was one of the first cardiovascular team members of the College, and the first nurse to receive the FACC designation.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Catherine M. Otto, MD, FACC
University of Washington School of Medicine
Seattle, WA
Distinguished Teacher
Dr. Otto is an undisputed world expert in valvular heart disease and echocardiography, as reflected in numerous high impact publications, visiting professorships and textbooks. Her work in aortic stenosis has, in multiple ways, influenced the way we manage this common and clinically important disease. Her innovative approach to teaching has helped many outstanding clinicians learn the building blocks of a successful cardiology career and develop critical understanding of the field.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Partho P. Sengupta, MD, FACC
Rutgers RWJ Medical School & University Hospital
New Brunswick, NJ
Gifted Educator
Dr. Sengupta embodies the qualities of a dynamic and visionary teacher. His innovative training and fellowship programs have led many of his mentees to successful careers, with more than 50 going on to serve as faculty members at leading institutions. As a clinician-investigator, his work has also been transformational. He has led multidisciplinary teams who have employed novel technologies and approaches in clinical care delivery using ultrasonography, artificial intelligence, informatics and robotics.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Marcelo F. Di Carli, MD, FACC
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA
Distinguished Mentor
Dr. Di Carli is unparalleled in his ability to recognize specific talents and in the care he takes to offer his mentees a personalized and appropriate roadmap for professional and personal growth. Dr. Di Carli's lifelong and unwavering dedication to clinical and research mentorship have led many of his trainees to Young Investigator Awards, grant funding and appointments as faculty at top-tier academic centers.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Paul L. Douglass, MD, MACC
Wellstar Health System
Smyrna, GA
Pamela S. Douglas Distinguished Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion
Dr. Douglass has dedicated his career to diversity, health equity and servant-leadership. Through his work, he has served as a role model for all cardiologists who provide care for underserved communities. Through his leadership, he has encouraged organizations and hospitals to view major decisions through a diversity equity and inclusion lens. And as ACC's Health Equity Task Force chair, he is helping steer our work to pave a path to health equity.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Pamela B. Morris, MD, FACC
Medical University of South Carolina
Mount Pleasant, SC
Distinguished Service
A passionate educator, dedicated mentor and leader, Dr. Morris is an outstanding ambassador for the College and a role model for many women and men who wish to become involved with the ACC. She exemplified extraordinary leadership and tenacity as chair of the Annual Scientific Session during the challenging pivots of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Morris has been a committed, collaborative volunteer on over 40 ACC committees and activities and she has also made significant contributions to the field of preventive cardiology.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Mirvat A. Alasnag, MBBS, FACC
King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
International Service
Dr. Alasnag has spent her career devoted to international collaboration. She has served on multiple ACC committees, including as chair of the ACC Early Career International Work Group, a member of the ACC Interventional Section Leadership Council and as chair of the ACC Women in Cardiology International Work Group. She was the first female interventional cardiologist in the Gulf region and has since represented women on multiple medical committees. Her consistent high performance also led to her appointment in 2015 as the first female cath lab director in the Gulf region.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Christine E. Seidman, MD
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA
Valentin Fuster Award for Innovation in Science
Dr. Seidman pioneered the discovery of the genetic basis for heart muscle disorders, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and congenital heart disease (CHD). The discovery has helped uncover real prospects for preventing the progression to heart failure in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Using molecular strategies to selectively deliver nucleic acid editors and nucleases to cardiomyocytes in preclinical disease models, she recently reported the successful correction and silencing of an HCM mutation.
Watch the Acceptance Video
James E. Muller, MD, FACC
InfraReDx Inc
Aburndale, MA
Distinguished Scientist (Basic Domain)
Dr. James Muller has led groundbreaking research on the triggers of myocardial infarction, helping document morning increases in MI, stroke and sudden cardiac death. To study triggering of MI, he helped develop the case-crossover method of research that has been used in thousands of studies worldwide. Dr. Muller also co-founded start-ups that developed catheters to identify vulnerable plaques I patients, and co-founded International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Gregory Y. H. Lip, MD, FACC
Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Aalborg University, Denmark
Distinguished Scientist (Clinical Domain)
Dr. Lip is among the world's most prolific and influential clinical investigators who continues to make major contributions to scientific knowledge in clinical cardiology. He is consistently ranked as one of the foremost experts on atrial fibrillation (AF) in the world and has led the effort over the last quarter of a century to define the pathophysiology, risk factors, optimal treatments and quality of care related to thrombosis in AF. Among his most significant achievements is the development of risk assessment tools to guide anticoagulation for stroke prevention among the many millions of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Margaret M. Redfield, MD, FACC
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Distinguished Scientist (Translational Domain)
Dr. Redfield has led groundbreaking research on the prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its relationship to other cardiac and systemic disease, which has led to advances in its management. Her worked proved that HFpEF affects half the heart failure population and disproportionately impacts elderly women. Her work has been used to evaluate HFpEF therapies that include advanced glycation end-product cross-link breakers and cyclic guanosine monophosphate-enhancing therapies.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Michael Honigberg, MD, FACC
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist
Dr. Honigberg has contributed to many new observations in women's heart health. Among his many contributions, he has demonstrated wide-ranging cardiovascular effects of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among middle-aged women; the use of human genetics to reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; and the use of retinal imaging and genetics to explore the influences of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on microvasculature. He has also investigated premature menopause's effects on multiple cardiometabolic risk factors and discovered age-related blood cell mutations predictive of cardiovascular risk are enriched among women with natural premature menopause.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Karol E. Watson, MD, FACC
UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA
Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women's CV Disease
Dr. Watson's impressive career integrates outstanding clinical care, research, and education with her deep interest in health equity and professional support for women and individuals underrepresented in medicine. She is a steadfast champion for women in cardiovascular medicine. She has a translational and clinical focus on atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease and within that arena, she has purposefully examined differences in care and outcomes for women and racial and ethnic minorities.
Watch the Acceptance Video
C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, FACC
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute
Los Angeles, CA
Master of the ACC (MACC)
Dr. Bairey Merz is an international leader in the field of cardiovascular disease in women and cardiovascular prevention. She is well known for her outstanding teaching skills and her successful mentorship and sponsorship of many young physicians and cardiovascular team members. In addition to her scientific contributions, Dr. Bairey Merz has shared her time, talent, and expertise in service to the ACC, serving as a trustee of the College from 2002-2007 and on more than 20 ACC committees, task forces and ad hoc work groups—including as chair of six ACC committees.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Paul N. Casale, MD, MPH, FACC
Weill Cornell Medicine
Lancaster, PA
Master of the ACC (MACC)
With his command of alternative payment models, population health and health policy, Dr. Casale has contributed greatly to the College's focus on health systems and the impact of new payment models on its members. Dr. Casale has also served as a knowledgeable resource for the ACC's international expansion. During his tenure on the Board of Trustees, Dr. Casale led many efforts including serving as Chair of the ACC Health Systems Strategy Taskforce and then co-chair of the combined ACC CV Enterprise and Health Systems Taskforce.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Edward T. A. Fry, MD, FACC
Ascension Medical Group Cardiology
Indianapolis, IN
Master of the ACC (MACC)
Over the course of the past year, Dr. Fry has led the College as it continues to grow and transition to meet the needs of cardiovascular clinicians and patients in a post-pandemic world. Thanks to his vision and leadership, the ACC has made great strides toward achieving its vision of a world where science, innovation and knowledge optimize patient care and outcomes. He has been a strong proponent of taking tangible actions to address health equity, grow the pipeline of future cardiovascular clinicians and leaders, and advance solutions to the current workforce crisis, ensure clinician wellbeing and stop continued cuts to physician reimbursement. ACC is grateful to Dr. Fry for his service as ACC president.
Watch the Acceptance Video
Janet S. Wright, MD, FACC
Director, Div for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, CDC
Littleton, CO
Master of the ACC (MACC)
Dr. Wright has spent nearly four decades devotedly contributing her time, energy and leadership skills to the Mission of the ACC. She has been an active volunteer, serving as a trustee of the College and on several taskforces and committees. She also served as ACC's first senior vice president of science & quality, where she was a champion of both the PINNACLE Registry and the College's appropriate use criteria, the first effort to instantiate evidence-based accountability for cardiovascular practitioners. Since 2011, she has also served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
2023 Young Investigator Awards
The Young Investigator Awards encourage and recognize young scientific investigators of promise. Each finalist presents their cutting-edge science leading up to ACC.23/WCC for a chance to win it all!
Listed below are the finalists for each category. Stay tuned to this page to learn who wins!
Basic and Translational Science

Andrew Perry, MD
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, TN

Felipe Kazmirczak, MD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Rashid Alavi, MSc
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

Jenna Mendelson, BS
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Ricardo Adrian Nugraha, MD
Airlangga University
Surabaya, Indonesia
Clinical Investigations

Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD, FACC
University Hospitals
Cleveland, OH

Nitish Dhingra, BS
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

Richard Carrick, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Omar Chehab, MD, MSc
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Mohammad Ostovaneh, MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Outcomes Research

Jonathan Cunningham, MD
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, MA

Andrew Oseran, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA

Eunjung Lee, PhD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

Abdulah Mahayni, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

James Pollock III, BS
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Gadsden, AL
2023 Career Development Awards
The ACC is committed to inspiring and investing in the next generation of cardiovascular clinicians, scientists and leaders in the field. The ACC's Career Development Awards provide opportunities for rising stars in cardiology to gain access to leadership development, mentorship and knowledge building that will help them grow in their chosen areas of focus.
Hani Najm Global Scholar Awards

Nayef Abdullah Al-Asiri, MD
Mouwasat Hospital
Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Nauman Ali, MBBS, FACC
Quaid-e-Azam Medical College/Cardiac Center Bahawalpur
Bahawlpur, Pakistan

Nafisa Omar Elsammani Elsheikh Ibrahim, MD
Al Shaab Hospital
Khartoum, Sudan
Proctor J. Harvey, MD Young Teacher Award

Kelly Schlendorf, MD, FACC
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN

Marty Tam, MD, FACC
University of Michigan School of Medicine
Ann Arbor, MI
Clinical Trials Research: Upping Your Game Program Research Awardees

Andrea Elliott, MD, FACC
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Abhishek Khemka, MD, FACC
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN

Estefania Oliveros, MD, FACC
Temple University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

Nosheen Reza, MD, FACC
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Zain Ul Abideen Asad, MD, MS, FACC
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK
JACC Awards
William W. Parmley Young Author Achievement Award

Quincy A. Hathaway, PhD
Heart and Vascular Institute, West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

Ons Marsit, PhD
Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec–Université Laval
Québec City, Qc, Canada
Spencer King Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Toby Rogers, MD, PhD
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Washington, DC
Jagat Narula Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Tomoko Negishi, MD
Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania
Hobart, Australia
Christopher O'Connor Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Christoffer R. Vissing, MD
Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital
Copenhagen, Denmark
JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology Young Author Achievement Award

Anna Gams, PhD
The George Washington University
Washington, DC
Thomas Force Young Investigator Award

Na Xu, PhD
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
JACC: Case Reports Young Author Achievement Award

Ana Isabel Pinho, MD
São João University Hospital Centre
Porto, Portugal

Lisa Young, BA, BS
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
JACC: CardioOncology Young Author Achievement Award

Megan Mulholland, MSc
Lund University
Malmö, Sweden
JACC: Asia Young Author Achievement Award

Jacopo F. Imberti, MD
Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science at University of Liverpool
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital
Liverpool, United Kingdom

Toru Kondo, MD, PhD
Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
Nagoya, Japan
JACC: Advances Young Author Achievement Award

Baljash Cheema, MD, MSCI, MSAI
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL

Irene Martin de Miguel, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Simon Dack Award for Outstanding Scholarship

John R. Burnett, MD, PhD
Royal Perth Hospital
Perth, Australia

Tirone E. David, MD
Toronto General Hospital
Toronto, Canada

Carl Edward Orringer, MD
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL

Robert S. Rosenson, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY

Gilbert H. Tang, MD
Mount Sinai Hospital
New York, NY
JACC Elite Reviewer Awards
Antonio Abbate, MD, FACC
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
Madeleine Johansson, MD, PhD
Lund University
Malmo, Sweden
Vera Bittner, MD, FACC
University of Alabama Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Antonio Abbate, MD, FACC
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
Madeleine Johansson, MD, PhD
Lund University
Malmo, Sweden
Vera Bittner, MD, FACC
University of Alabama Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Michael Miller, MD, FACC
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Mohamad Adnan Alkhouli, MD, FACC
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
Rochester, MN
Sheldon Gottlieb, MD, FACC
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Morton J. Kern, MD, FACC
Long Beach Veterans Admin Hospital
Long Beach, CA
Poojita Shivamurthy, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Thomas H. Schindler, MD, FACC
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Benedikt Schrage, MD
University Heart Center Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany