Boston University Professor Honored for Decades of Mentoring Cardiovascular Researchers

Dr. Emelia J. Benjamin, professor of medicine at Boston University, will receive the 2025 Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 in November. The award recognizes individuals with sustained excellence in teaching and mentoring future faculty researchers, educators, and healthcare professionals, with recipients acknowledged for their lasting impact on cardiovascular care through extensive mentoring of residents and fellows.

Dr. Benjamin holds the Jay and Louise Coffman Professor in Vascular Medicine position at the BU Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and serves as professor of epidemiology at the BU School of Public Health. Her mentoring legacy includes developing ongoing faculty development programs supporting early- and mid-career clinicians and researchers from diverse backgrounds. She has directed multi-institutional research fellowships supported by the Heart Association and National Institutes of Health, including an international atrial fibrillation genetics fellowship and the NIH K12 program, Boston University Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health.

The significance of this recognition extends beyond individual achievement to underscore the vital role mentorship plays in advancing cardiovascular science. Dr. Benjamin's NIH-funded research has focused on atrial fibrillation, mobile health, inflammation, and chronic pain, with continuous NIH funding as principal or co-investigator since 1998. Her work with the Framingham Heart Study, accessible at https://www.framinghamheartstudy.org, has contributed to identifying major heart disease risk factors.

Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized Dr. Benjamin's impact, stating her commitment to training diverse early career professionals continues to shape cardiovascular science and medicine's future. This mentoring approach has proven successful, with many trainees receiving NIH Career Development Awards and launching careers in cardiovascular research worldwide.

Dr. Benjamin's advocacy extends through her roles with the Heart Association, including former chair of the Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology, where she developed a strong Early Career Committee. Her recognition includes several of the Heart Association's highest awards, such as the Distinguished Scientist Award (2022) and Gold Heart Award (2016), along with the Louis B. Russell Jr. Memorial Award for supporting women and diverse backgrounds in cardiovascular science.

The implications of this mentorship model are substantial for cardiovascular healthcare advancement. By formally mentoring more than 60 faculty members and trainees who secured independent research funding and faculty positions globally, Dr. Benjamin has created a multiplier effect that accelerates research discoveries and clinical innovations. Her work contributes to the ongoing advancements documented in resources available through https://www.heart.org.

Dr. Benjamin expressed humility in receiving an award named for Dr. Eugene Braunwald, whose mentoring legacy has informed generations of cardiovascular health scientists. Her career demonstrates how sustained mentorship investment creates lasting impact beyond individual research achievements, ultimately benefiting patient care through trained professionals who continue advancing cardiovascular science.