The American Heart Association will recognize Dr. Katherine R. Tuttle, a leading clinical researcher whose work has reshaped the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with its 2026 Clinical Research Prize. The award will be presented during the Presidential Session on Nov. 8 at the Association's Scientific Sessions 2026, to be held Nov. 6-9 in Chicago. The meeting is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements in cardiovascular science.
Dr. Tuttle, executive director for research at Providence in Spokane, Washington, and professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, has spent more than three decades as a clinical and translational scientist. Her research focuses on diabetes, CKD, and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Her pioneering work has helped transform CKD treatment by advancing therapies that reduce the risks of kidney failure, major adverse cardiovascular events, and premature death in people with and without diabetes. She has played a leading role in studies that established SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists as breakthrough therapies, and her research continues to advance the next generation of treatments for CKD and CKM conditions.
“Dr. Tuttle has fundamentally changed the care of patients living with chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic conditions,” said Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president and chief of the division of cardiology at Duke University. “Her visionary clinical research has deepened our understanding of the connection between kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, and helped advance an integrated approach to cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health that recognizes the interrelated effects of kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. She is an extraordinary physician-scientist whose leadership continues to shape the future of cardiovascular and kidney medicine.”
Dr. Tuttle's research has spanned the full spectrum of translational science, from foundational physiologic and pre-clinical studies to landmark clinical trials and implementation research. She has served as a leading investigator for numerous breakthrough therapies targeting CKD and CKM conditions, including SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, next-generation incretin therapies, anti-inflammatory agents, and aldosterone-targeted therapies. She also leads the CURE-CKD Registry, one of the nation's largest real-world databases of patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension, encompassing more than seven million health system patients across Providence and UCLA Health facilities in seven states.
Throughout her career, Dr. Tuttle has provided national and international leadership in kidney and cardiovascular medicine. She has chaired major initiatives for the American Society of Nephrology, National Institutes of Health, International Society of Nephrology, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes, National Kidney Foundation, and the American Diabetes Association, helping shape clinical practice and research priorities worldwide. A longtime Heart Association volunteer, she has served on the Council on the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease, Scientific Publishing Committee, Awards Committee, Scientific Advisory Group, and as a Go Red for Women Ambassador. She also contributed to the writing groups for the scientific statement on cardiorenal protection with newer diabetes medications and its foundational presidential advisory and scientific statement defining cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. Most recently, she served on the writing committee for the 2026 AHA/ACC/ADA/ASN Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association,” said Dr. Tuttle. “Throughout my career, I have focused on collaboration to advance clinical research and improve the lives of people living with cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases.”
Dr. Tuttle's scientific achievements have earned numerous honors, including the National Kidney Foundation's Garabed Eknoyan Award in 2017, the American Association of Kidney Patients' Medal of Excellence in 2020, and the American Society of Nephrology's John P. Peters Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. In 2025, she was elected to the Association of American Physicians and recognized as a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, placing her work among the top 1% most cited in her field. She has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications and served as principal investigator on numerous NIH-supported research projects and clinical trials, including CORAL, CKD-MIT, PERL, the KPMP, and the landmark AWARD-7, FLOW, and REMODEL trials.
Dr. Tuttle earned her medical degree from Northwestern University, where she also completed her residency in internal medicine. She completed fellowships in endocrinology and metabolism at Washington University in St. Louis and in nephrology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. A longtime educator and mentor, she has trained physician-scientists and clinical investigators for decades while publishing extensively on kidney disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular medicine. Through her research, leadership, and mentorship, she has helped redefine the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease and accelerate the integration of kidney health into cardiovascular care.
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