Contact: Julie Boyland, jboyland@acc.org,

New Orleans (Mar 27, 2026) -

The American College of Cardiology is proud to recognize the recipients of the 2026 Distinguished Awards. The 20 recipients have made exceptional contributions to the cardiovascular profession, helping the ACC in its mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health for all.

Awardees will be recognized during Convocation at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26) taking place March 28 – 30, 2026, in New Orleans.

The 2026 Distinguished Award winners are:

2026 Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease
Sharonne N. Hayes, MD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Cardiovascular Team Member
Kim Guibone, APRN, DNP, FACC

2026 Distinguished Fellow
Laxmi S. Mehta, MD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Mentor
Michael R. Zile, MD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Scientist (Basic Domain)
Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Scientist (Clinical Domain)
Allan L. Klein, MD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Scientist (Translational Domain)
Partho P. Sengupta, MD, FACC

2026 Distinguished Service
Rakesh Gopinathannair, MD, MA, MBA, FACC

2026 Distinguished Educator
Jeffrey T. Kuvin, MD, FACC

2026 Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist
Rohan Khera, MD, MS, FACC

2026 Gifted Teacher
Binh An P. Phan, MD, FACC

2026 Navin C. Nanda International Service
Kian Keong Poh, MBBCH, MA, MMed, FACC

2026 Lifetime Achievement
Zohair Y. Al Halees, MBBS, FACC

2026 Pamela S. Douglas Award for Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion
Stephen C. Cook, MD, FACC

0002026 Presidential Citation000
Thad F. Waites, MD, MACC

2026 Valentin Fuster Award for Innovation in Science
* supported by Elsevier, ACC’s publishing partner

2026 Masters of the ACC (MACC)
Christopher M. Kramer, MD, FACC
John E. Brush Jr., MD, FACC
Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM, FACC
Carole A. Warnes, MD, FACC

ACC.26 will take place March 28 – 30, 2026, in New Orleans, bringing together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists from around the world to share the newest discoveries in treatment and prevention. Follow @ACCinTouch, @ACCMediaCenter and #ACC26 for the latest news from the meeting.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is the global leader in transforming cardiovascular care and improving heart health for all. As the preeminent source of professional medical education for the entire cardiovascular care team since 1949, ACC credentials cardiovascular professionals in over 140 countries who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. Through its world-renowned family of JACC Journals, NCDR registries, ACC Accreditation Services, global network of Member Sections, CardioSmart patient resources and more, the College is committed to ensuring a world where science, knowledge and innovation optimize patient care and outcomes. Learn more at www.ACC.org.

###

< Back to Listings