Fatima Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACC | Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist Awardee

Fatima Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FACC is a physician-scientist who is elucidating our understanding of cardiovascular disease and health disparities. At an early career stage, she has established a national reputation for her work in health equity and is an emerging leader in cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Rodriguez received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, graduating summa cum laude with distinction. In 2011, she received her MD from Harvard Medical School and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. She trained in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and in cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University. She was appointed an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford in 2018.

As a preventive cardiologist, Dr. Rodriguez is focused on improving cardiovascular risk prediction and treatment recommendations for historically marginalized and understudied patient groups, with the goal of reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. Her research interests developed from family experiences with heart disease and took shape as a medical resident when she led a series of projects that focused on cardiovascular prevention among underserved populations. Her research prowess during her fellowship years was recognized by the ACC/Merck Research Fellowship Award, a National Research Service Award, the AHA-Robert Wood Johnson Harold Amos Faculty Medical Development Award and an NHLBI K Award.

Despite having been a faculty member for only four years, Dr. Rodriguez has authored or co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications, including many in high impact journals. Her work is original and innovative and the kind of research that changes clinical practice, contributes to guidelines and improves the research methods of a field.

She is a superb clinician and a frequently sought-after mentor, especially for young women and underrepresented-in-medicine scientists. She's insightful, collaborative and incredibly generous. Dr. Fatima Rodriguez is a very worthy winner of the Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist Award.