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Dr. Herman Taylor of Morehouse School of Medicine Receives 2024 American Heart Association Clinical Research Prize

Endowed Professor and Director of the MSM Cardiovascular Research Institute will be honored during upcoming AHA Scientific Sessions

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is proud to announce that Herman A. Taylor, Jr., MD, MPH, FAHA, endowed professor and director of the MSM Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI), will receive the 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) Clinical Research Prize.

“I’m deeply humbled by this award from the American Heart Association,” Dr. Taylor said. “Heart health and disease result from the convergence of many factors. In my work, I try to look at the interplay between the broader social and physical environments that shape heart disease, and the individual characteristics that contribute to health outcomes in hopes of advancing a more precise understanding of health that accounts not only for risk factors like behavior, genetics and access to care, but also resilience factors that can buffer against disease. Often these factors are deeply influenced by a social context often defined by race, which continues to shape both opportunities for health and barriers to care. I hope what we do moves the field forward towards true precision in prevention and care for the entire population. I’m grateful to the Association for this recognition of my work.”

The upcoming AHA Scientific Sessions 2024, which will take place November 16-18 in Chicago, is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. Dr. Taylor and his fellow 2024 award winners will be honored during the Presidential Session on November 17.

“It’s my honor to present this award to Dr. Herman Taylor, whose passion for learning all that influences heart health across all populations is the type of work that moves medicine forward,” said American Heart Association 2024-2025 Volunteer President Keith Churchwell, MD, FAHA. “Research that informs physicians on which influences have positive and negative patient outcomes is invaluable information when designing interventions that reduce risks and can lead to longer, healthier lives for more people.”

Dr. Taylor was previously honored by the AHA with its 2020 Physician of the Year award. His extensive body of research focuses on the advancement of health equity. Most notably, he was the principal investigator and founding director of the Jackson Heart Study, a landmark study on heart health within Black communities that continues today and has shaped cardiovascular care for more than the past 20 years.

Currently, Dr. Taylor is principal investigator for the Southeast Hub of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) initiative, which is based at the MSM Cardiovascular Research Institute and focuses on increasing the number of under-represented minority scientists in artificial intelligence/machine learning.

He also directs the Morehouse-Emory Center for Health Equity (MECA) study investigating determinants and characteristics of resilience related to heart disease among Black people in the U.S. Elsewhere, Dr. Taylor is director of player engagement and education and co-investigator in the Harvard University Football Players Health Study, exploring the myriad physical and mental health conditions and concerns that impact former NFL players throughout their lifetimes.

Dr. Taylor is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease and has authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed journal articles. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, a Fellow of the AHA and American College of Cardiology and the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. Dr. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Princeton University, a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School and a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Additional information about the MSM Cardiovascular Research Institute is available by clicking here.

For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, please visit MSM.edu.

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