The American Heart Association will honor Dr. Fatima Rodriguez with the 2025 Joseph A. Vita Award during its Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans, recognizing her significant contributions to cardiovascular biology and health through research published in the Association's journals. Selected by the editors-in-chief of the American Heart Association's 14 peer-reviewed scientific journals, this award commemorates the legacy of the late cardiovascular scientist who founded the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA). Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, the Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized that Dr. Rodriguez embodies the award's values through her innovative, impactful, and patient-centered work that has enhanced cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention strategies.
Dr. Rodriguez's multidisciplinary research program focuses on cardiometabolic disease prevention, utilizing technology and data science to personalize cardiovascular risk prediction and address outcome disparities across diverse populations. Her work, supported by major funding organizations including the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, has redirected cardiovascular research through evidence-based interventions. As a fellow of multiple professional organizations and president-elect of the Association's Bay Area Board, her influence extends beyond academic research into clinical practice and public health advocacy, shaping standards of care and patient outcomes globally.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition, Dr. Rodriguez connected her career dedication to personal family experiences with heart disease, highlighting her commitment to developing more personalized and equitable treatment approaches. Her educational background includes a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a master of public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, followed by residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and cardiology fellowship at Stanford University. With over 270 peer-reviewed publications and previous honors such as the 2022 Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist Award, her research continues to transform cardiovascular care. The award presentation during the opening session on November 9, 2025, at the premier global cardiovascular science conference underscores the importance of her work in advancing preventive cardiology and addressing health inequities through scientific innovation.
