Nutrition and hypertension researcher Lawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, will receive the 2026 Research Achievement Award from the American Heart Association at its Scientific Sessions 2026, to be held Nov. 6-9 in Chicago. The award will be presented during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. The meeting is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements in cardiovascular science.
Dr. Appel is a professor of medicine, epidemiology, international health and nursing at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. He is internationally recognized for research that has transformed the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic conditions. His work includes controlled feeding studies, lifestyle intervention trials, chronic kidney disease research, and global initiatives to improve hypertension control.
Among his most influential contributions is his leadership in the landmark Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial. Published in 1997, the DASH trial demonstrated that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and lower in saturated fat could substantially reduce blood pressure. The study helped establish the DASH eating plan as a foundational approach to preventing and treating high blood pressure, and it has since been incorporated into cardiovascular prevention recommendations globally.
Dr. Appel was also an investigator in the DASH-Sodium trial, which showed that reducing sodium intake lowered blood pressure and that combining sodium reduction with the DASH dietary pattern produced the greatest benefit. Together, these trials provided compelling evidence that dietary patterns and sodium intake can substantially affect blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In a 2023 American Heart Association scientific statement evaluating 10 popular dietary patterns, the DASH-style eating pattern received a perfect score for its alignment with the Association's guidance for heart-healthy eating.
His subsequent research, the OmniHeart trial, found that partially replacing dietary carbohydrate with protein or unsaturated fat could further lower blood pressure and improve certain cholesterol and other lipid measures. More recently, he helped lead the DASH4D randomized clinical trial, which evaluated a DASH-style eating pattern tailored for adults with Type 2 diabetes. The trial found that combining the DASH4D dietary pattern with reduced sodium produced a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure.
Beyond dietary studies, Dr. Appel has led major behavioral intervention trials such as PREMIER, Weight Loss Maintenance, and POWER, which tested strategies to help people make and sustain lifestyle changes in healthcare and community settings. He has also contributed to kidney research through the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension and the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort, advancing understanding of blood pressure targets, genetic risk, and disparities in kidney disease progression. Additionally, he has studied intensive blood pressure control through medications and global implementation research to increase hypertension control rates.
"Dr. Appel's rigorous research has reinforced the direct connection between a healthy diet and high blood pressure, as well as other cardiovascular conditions," said Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president. "His work has translated complex nutrition science into clear, actionable strategies that have improved care and helped millions of people take meaningful steps to prevent and manage high blood pressure."
Dr. Appel expressed his gratitude: "I am incredibly honored to receive the American Heart Association's 2026 Research Achievement Award. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with exceptional participants, investigators, staff and trainees who shared a commitment to improving the health of patients and whole communities."
A longtime Heart Association volunteer, Dr. Appel has been a member of the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention since 1989 and the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health since 2000. He has served on the Nutrition Committee since 1998, including as chair from 2006 to 2008; chaired the Sodium Strategy Task Force from 2010 to 2020; and served as chair of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health from 2014 to 2016. He was previously recognized as a Distinguished Scientist in 2018 and, in 2025, as the inaugural recipient of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Mentoring Award.
Dr. Appel earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and his Master of Public Health in epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. He completed his internal medicine residency and served as chief medical resident at what is now Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, followed by a research fellowship in general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He served as director of the Johns Hopkins ProHealth Clinical Research Unit from 1997 to 2026 and director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research from 2010 to 2024. He has authored or co-authored more than 700 scientific publications and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2012 and the Association of American Physicians in 2015.
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