The American Heart Association will present its 2026 Population Research Prize to Pradeep Natarajan, M.D., M.M.Sc., FAHA, at its annual Scientific Sessions, recognizing his leadership in using human genetics and large population studies to transform cardiovascular disease prevention. The award will be given during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8, at the meeting held Nov. 6-9, 2026, in Chicago.
Dr. Natarajan is internationally recognized for uncovering genetic mechanisms in lipid disorders, coronary artery disease and clonal hematopoiesis, and for advancing polygenic risk scores and precision medicine approaches that may identify individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk earlier in life. His discoveries have also accelerated the development of novel therapeutic targets. In August 2026, he joined Amgen as vice president of global research, head of human genetics and head of the Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Area, while continuing as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a distinguished physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“Congratulations to Dr. Pradeep Natarajan for his groundbreaking work that has redefined how human genetics and large population studies can be used to prevent cardiovascular disease,” said Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president. “His innovative research has helped bridge genomic discovery with clinical application, advancing precision medicine while improving our understanding of cardiovascular risk across diverse populations.”
Dr. Natarajan's most influential contributions include advancing the interpretation of whole-genome sequencing for cardiovascular disease, identifying novel genetic pathways in lipid metabolism and coronary artery disease, and developing polygenic risk prediction tools designed to improve prevention. His research integrates genomics, multi-omics, electronic health records and large population biobanks. He has led numerous NIH-funded investigations on lipid biology, coronary artery disease, clonal hematopoiesis, cardiovascular risk prediction and precision medicine, with collaborations involving millions of participants.
A longtime Heart Association volunteer since 2011, Dr. Natarajan has been a member of its Data Science and Precision Medicine Committee since 2020, serving as vice chair from 2022 to 2024 and chair since 2024. He has also served on the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee since 2021 and as vice chair of writing groups for three scientific statements addressing polygenic risk scores for cardiovascular disease, direct-to-consumer genetic testing for cardiovascular disease and the cardiovascular implications of clonal hematopoiesis. He was also a member of the writing committee for the 2026 Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association, an organization that shares my mission to improve health outcomes for those impacted by cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Natarajan. “I have dedicated my career to discovering and understanding the drivers of cardiovascular disease using human genetics, innovative methods and interdisciplinary collaboration towards optimal cardiovascular prevention and health.”
Beyond his research, Dr. Natarajan has mentored dozens of early-career investigators and directed educational programs in cardiovascular genetics and precision medicine. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master of medical sciences degree in biomedical informatics from Harvard Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and his cardiovascular medicine fellowship and postdoctoral research training in human genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Natarajan has authored or co-authored more than 330 peer-reviewed publications and has served as principal investigator on several major NIH-funded studies, including an $11.2 million NIH Common Fund project on somatic mosaicism. His honors include election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2022 and the Association of American Physicians in 2024, as well as the Heart Association’s Joseph A. Vita Award in 2023 and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Mid-Career Award in 2025.
The recognition underscores the growing role of genetics in cardiovascular prevention. As precision medicine advances, tools like polygenic risk scores could become standard in identifying high-risk individuals earlier, potentially reshaping clinical practice and reducing the global burden of heart disease. Additional multimedia is available on the release link, and more information about the American Heart Association can be found at heart.org or stroke.org.
