Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT / 8 a.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022

DALLAS, Oct. 26, 2022 – The American Heart Association is presenting its Chairman’s Award to Ivor J. Benjamin, M.D., FAHA, of the Medical College of Wisconsin. He will be recognized with the award during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022. The meeting will be held in person in Chicago and virtually, Saturday, Nov. 5 through Monday, Nov. 7 and is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

“I’m honored to present this award to Dr. Ivor Benjamin,” said Association Chairman Raymond P. Vara Jr. “His career-long dedication to growing the field of cardiology with the goal of creating a more equitable health care environment is inspiring. During his more than 3 decades in academic medicine, he has been integral in shaping the field of cardiovascular science from the inside out, dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and diverse environment for clinicians, researchers and patients.”

Throughout his career as a physician-scientist, Dr. Benjamin has focused on cardiovascular health, especially proteostatic networks in cardiac disease, stem cell biology and redox homeostasis, which has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including the prestigious NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. His research generated the first Hsf1 knockout mice that uncovered the proteostatic requirements for thermotolerance, female fertility, circadian rhythm, and tumorigenesis. In addition, Dr. Benjamin pioneered the concept of “reductive stress” as a causal mechanism in a form of cardiomyopathy. He has provided leadership to expand biomedical research and patient care to reduce disability and death related to heart disease and stroke. For more than 30 years, he has led both clinical and research-based cardiovascular programs.

He is passionate about inspiring future scientists and is a strong advocate for STEM career paths as a means to achieve more inclusive research and patient care that will reduce health disparities and improve health equity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he, along with colleagues from the Beta Alpha Boulé, with support from the national fraternity of Sigma Pi Phi, was instrumental in addressing the mental health needs of students. They engaged communities, educators, and legislators to form the Four School Mental Health Initiative in Milwaukee. Moreover, Dr. Benjamin serves as member of the National Advisory Committee for the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation whose mission is to increase the number of medical, dental, and nursing faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. He is the former chair of the Mentor/AHA Mentee Award and is the current chair of the Institutional Training Mechanism Review Committee for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

“I’m humbled by this recognition from the American Heart Association,” said Dr Benjamin. “As a physician, I feel it’s my duty to improve the future of care delivery and patient outcomes, and as a researcher, to discover new treatments and to challenge existing dogmas. Without doubt, I think the best way to accomplish such aspiring goals are to collaborate with thought leaders and by encouraging a more diverse pool and inclusive environment from which the next generation of physicians and scientists will strive.”

At the Medical College of Wisconsin Dr. Benjamin is a professor of medicine, physiology, pharmacology and toxicology, cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, and surgery. He is the director of the school’s Cardiovascular Center, serves as the co-director of the NIH’s T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Sciences at the College, and is a professor in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Additionally, Dr. Benjamin is an adjunct senior investigator at the Versiti Blood Research Institute of Wisconsin.

Dr. Benjamin earned a bachelor’s from Hunter College in New York, and a Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed a medical internship and residency at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the Michael Reese Hospital at the University of Chicago, a research fellowship in molecular cardiology at Duke University Medical Center and a research fellowship in molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Benjamin has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers. He is the editor of Clinical and Translational Science. He is a consulting editor for SpringerNature, American Journal of Physiology and Heart and Circulatory Physiology. He also is the editor-in-chief of the 9th edition of Cecil Essentials of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Benjamin is a former president of the Association of University Cardiologists.

He is the editor of the Association’s journals Circulation, Circulation Research and the Journal of the American Heart Association, of which he was a founding member. Dr. Benjamin is a former president of the Association and was previously recognized by the Association in 1997 with the Established Investigator Award, which he credits as the pivotal launching point in his research career.

Additional Resources:

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The American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022 is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. The 3-day meeting will feature more than 500 sessions focused on breakthrough cardiovascular basic, clinical and population science updates occurring Saturday through Monday, November 5-7, 2022. Thousands of leading physicians, scientists, cardiologists, advanced practice nurses and allied health care professionals from around the world will convene virtually to participate in basic, clinical and population science presentations, discussions and curricula that can shape the future of cardiovascular science and medicine, including prevention and quality improvement. During the three-day meeting, attendees receive exclusive access to more than 4,000 original research presentations and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME), Continuing Education (CE) or Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits for educational sessions. Engage in Scientific Sessions 2022 on social media via #AHA22. 

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.orgFacebookTwitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

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For Media Inquiries:

AHA News Media in Dallas: 214-706-1173; ahacommunications@heart.org

Michelle Kirkwood: 703-457-7838; michelle.kirkwood@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org