Jennifer S. Lawton, M.D., FAHA, a pioneering cardiac surgeon-scientist whose translational research has advanced the protection of the heart and brain during cardiac surgery, will receive the 2026 Basic Research Prize from the American Heart Association. The award will be presented during the Association's Scientific Sessions 2026, to be held Nov. 6-9, 2026, in Chicago, with the recognition taking place during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Dr. Lawton, formerly the Richard B. Darnall Professor of Surgery and chief of the division of cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, is now faculty at the University of Maryland. She is internationally recognized for her work on myocardial protection and neuroprotection during cardiac surgery. Her laboratory has advanced the understanding of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels and the cardioprotective effects of diazoxide, helping uncover novel mechanisms that reduce myocardial injury during ischemia and reperfusion.
Her decades of successful translational research include the first FDA-regulated, first-in-human Phase I Safety and Feasibility Trial of Cardioplegia with Diazoxide (CPG-DZX). Additionally, her research investigating neurologic injury during circulatory arrest has advanced knowledge of protective strategies utilized to reduce injury during cardiac surgery.
Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president, praised Dr. Lawton's contributions. "Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Lawton, whose groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding of myocardial protection and transformed the translation of basic cardiovascular science into therapies that improve patient care," said Patel, who is also the Richard S. Stack, M.D. Distinguished Professor of Medicine, chief of the division of cardiology and vice president of heart and vascular services at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. "She is an innovative scientist, accomplished surgeon and exceptional leader whose contributions have advanced cardiovascular research and inspire the next generation of physician-scientists."
Among Dr. Lawton's most significant scientific contributions has been defining the mechanisms through which KATP channel activation protects the heart from ischemic injury during cardiac surgery. Her laboratory has received sustained funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the Thoracic Surgery Foundation to investigate myocardial protection, neuroprotection during circulatory arrest and novel approaches to reducing cardiac injury. More recently, her research has expanded into brain protection during hypothermic circulatory arrest while continuing to advance innovative therapies for patients undergoing complex cardiac operations.
"It is an incredible honor to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association, an organization that has supported numerous projects throughout my career and is a champion supporter of cardiovascular research across the spectrum," said Dr. Lawton. "I look forward to continuing my journey of scientific discovery, collaboration and improving outcomes for patients through research."
Beyond her research, Dr. Lawton has dedicated her career to mentoring future surgeon-scientists, training dozens of medical students, residents, fellows and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now serve as academic leaders, cardiac surgeons and physician-scientists worldwide. She has authored more than 250 scientific manuscripts and held numerous leadership positions within national surgical organizations, editorial boards and professional societies. She served as deputy editor for the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and on the editorial board of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, JAMA Cardiology and the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery. She currently serves as a guest reviewer for multiple other scientific journals and has reviewed grants for the American Heart Association, the NIH and the Leducq Foundation.
Dr. Lawton has also held numerous volunteer leadership roles with the Heart Association, including serving as vice chair of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia from 2015 to 2017 and as chair from 2017 to 2019. She chaired the AHA/ACC/SCAI Guideline Writing Committee for Coronary Artery Revascularization from 2019 to 2021, and she chaired the Heart Association's Basic Science Surgery Study Section from 2013 to 2015, after serving as co-chair in 2013.
Dr. Lawton earned her bachelor's degree from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. She completed her general surgery residency and cardiovascular research fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, followed by a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She joined Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2016 after serving on the faculty at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for 15 years.
The American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science. For more news at American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026, follow us on X @HeartNews, #ScientificSessions26.
