Department research and prestigious awards presented at the American Heart Association’s 2021 Scientific Sessions

by Roxanna Van Norman
November 18, 2021

The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its 2021 Scientific Sessions from November 13 to 15, convening together leading physicians, scientists, cardiologists, advanced practice nurses, and allied health care professionals from around the world to participate in scientific presentations and discussions that can shape the future of cardiovascular science and medicine.

The three-day virtual meeting featured more than 500 sessions focused on cardiovascular basic, clinical, and population science updates and included research presentations from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine.

AHA also awarded prestigious prizes and recognition to scientists, clinicians, nurses, and allied health professionals for their scientific achievements and contributions. Two awards were given to the department:

The 2021 Clinical Research Prize was awarded Joseph Woo, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. The award is given annually to recognize an individual making outstanding contributions to the advancement of clinical science relevant to the organization's mission.

The 2021 Vivien Thomas Early Career Investigator Award was given to Yuanjia Zhu, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery in Dr. Woo's laboratory. The award acknowledges the accomplishments of early career investigator of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia who are focusing on fundamental and applied surgical research.

Previous winners of the Vivien Thomas Early Career Investigator Award included 2016 recipient Michael Paulsen, MD, a resident in Cardiothoracic Surgery, and 2013 recipient John MacArthur, MD, Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery (Adult Cardiac Surgery).

The following abstracts were presented at the Scientific Sessions that included authors from the department: