Dr. Judith S. Hochman, senior associate dean for clinical sciences and founding director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, will receive the 2025 Research Achievement Award at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The award recognizes her decades of research that have directly influenced global clinical practice guidelines in cardiology and improved patient care across the spectrum of ischemic heart disease.
Dr. Hochman's most significant contributions come from three landmark international trials that have fundamentally changed how physicians approach coronary artery disease. The Occluded Artery Trial (OAT), building on her experimental research in rodent models, demonstrated no clinical benefit for late angioplasty in stable, post-myocardial infarction patients despite promising animal model findings. This critical finding helped prevent unnecessary procedures in specific patient populations.
Her work on the SHOCK Trial established the clear survival advantage for early revascularization in patients with cardiogenic shock due to left ventricular failure after acute MI. This landmark study demonstrated that emergency revascularization reduced mortality rates by 13 absolute percentage points at one-year and long-term, leading to increased use of early revascularization in cardiogenic shock with improved survival in community settings. These findings have been incorporated into clinical guidelines from the American Heart Association and other international medical organizations.
Dr. Hochman's most recent clinical trial, the NHLBI-funded international ISCHEMIA trial, compared initial invasive versus conservative treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease. While finding no significant difference in all-cause mortality, the trial identified substantial quality-of-life improvement among patients with angina who received invasive treatment, including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. This nuanced finding has helped clinicians better tailor treatment approaches to individual patient needs.
Beyond her research on revascularization, Dr. Hochman is recognized as a trailblazer in women's cardiovascular health. In the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction IIIb (TIMI IIIb) trial, she was among the first to study sex differences in women with acute coronary syndromes and to recognize the substantial incidence of women with these syndromes having no obstructive coronary disease. Her leadership roles for the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative Advisory Committee reflect her enduring commitment to advancing women's health.
Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized Dr. Hochman's impact, stating her research has directly influenced patient care and describing her as a visionary leader unafraid to tackle complex questions. Dr. Hochman's work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Circulation, and she serves on multiple editorial boards, ensuring the continued dissemination of rigorous cardiovascular research.
The recognition of Dr. Hochman's contributions underscores the importance of long-term, randomized clinical trials in shaping evidence-based medicine. Her research has not only advanced scientific understanding but has translated directly into improved patient outcomes and more effective treatment strategies worldwide. The award ceremony during the opening session of Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans will highlight how sustained research commitment can transform cardiovascular care and establish new standards for clinical practice.
