University of Pennsylvania Professor Barbara Riegel to Receive 2025 Clinical Research Prize for Self-Care Research

Barbara Riegel, Ph.D., R.N., FAHA, Emerita Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor of Gerontology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will receive the American Heart Association's 2025 Clinical Research Prize at the Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting, to be held Nov. 7-10, 2025, in New Orleans, serves as a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements in cardiovascular science. Dr. Riegel will be awarded during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025.

Dr. Riegel's research focuses on self-care by individuals with chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, which she defines broadly to include treatment adherence, condition monitoring and self-management of symptoms. She has developed standard ways to track and measure the burden of self-care for chronic health conditions, helping to bridge the gap between patient experiences and clinical care. Her work is particularly significant as chronic diseases continue to burden healthcare systems globally, making patient self-management increasingly crucial for sustainable care models.

Dr. Riegel developed the internationally recognized Self-Care of Heart Failure Index, the premier evaluation tool to comprehensively measure self-care in patients with heart failure. Through rigorous psychometric testing and continuous refinement, the index has become the global standard for measuring self-care in heart failure, widely used in research, education and interdisciplinary clinical practice. The tool has been cited in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, demonstrating its widespread adoption and impact on clinical practice.

Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, stated that Dr. Riegel is a driving force in redefining chronic disease care through self-care science. Her pioneering research and unwavering commitment is shaping care models worldwide and improving the lives of patients and caregivers alike. Dr. Riegel's most recent research focuses on innovative strategies to support caregivers, including the development of virtual health coaching interventions aimed at promoting caregiver self-care.

Dr. Riegel's distinguished research has been recognized with numerous awards from the Heart Association's Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, including the Heart Failure Research Prize in 1998, the Katherine A. Lembright Award for lifetime achievement in cardiovascular research in 2005, and in 2009, she was named as one of the Top 10 Cardiovascular Scientists. In 2015, she received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Heart Association. Additional honors include the Distinguished Research Lectureship from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2022, Dr. Riegel was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Medicine from Linkoping University in Sweden in recognition of her pioneering work in self-care. She has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and 36 book chapters, contributing significantly to the scientific understanding of self-care in chronic disease management. The recognition of her work through this prestigious award underscores the growing importance of patient-centered care approaches in modern healthcare systems. For more information about the American Heart Association and its initiatives, visit https://www.heart.org.