The American Heart Association will recognize Pradeep Natarajan, M.D., M.M.Sc., FAHA, with its 2026 Population Research Prize during Scientific Sessions 2026, to be held Nov. 6-9 in Chicago. The award, presented during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8, highlights a career that has fundamentally changed how researchers use human genetics and large, diverse populations to understand and prevent cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Natarajan is internationally recognized for uncovering genetic mechanisms in lipid disorders, coronary artery disease, and clonal hematopoiesis. His work has advanced polygenic risk scores for cardiovascular disease and precision medicine approaches that may identify individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk earlier in life. These discoveries have also accelerated the development of novel therapeutic targets, bridging genomic discovery with clinical application.
Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president, praised Dr. Natarajan for groundbreaking work that has redefined how human genetics and large population studies can be used to prevent cardiovascular disease. Patel noted that Dr. Natarajan's innovative research has helped bridge genomic discovery with clinical application, advancing precision medicine while improving understanding of cardiovascular risk across diverse populations.
Dr. Natarajan's contributions include advancing whole-genome sequencing interpretation for cardiovascular disease, identifying novel genetic pathways in lipid metabolism and coronary artery disease, and developing polygenic risk prediction tools. His research integrates genomics, multi-omics, electronic health records, and large population biobanks. He has led numerous National Institutes of Health-funded investigations focused on lipid biology, coronary artery disease, clonal hematopoiesis, cardiovascular risk prediction, and precision medicine, spanning international collaborations involving millions of participants.
A longtime volunteer leader with the Heart Association since 2011, Dr. Natarajan has served on its Data Science and Precision Medicine Committee since 2020, as vice chair from 2022 to 2024, and as chair since 2024. He has been on the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee since 2021 and served as vice chair of writing groups for three scientific statements addressing 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.
In August 2026, Dr. Natarajan joined Amgen as vice president of global research, head of human genetics, and head of the Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Area. He also serves as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a distinguished physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. His career includes more than 330 peer-reviewed publications and principal investigator roles 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.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Natarajan has mentored dozens of early-career investigators and directed educational programs in cardiovascular genetics and precision medicine. His recognition with the Population Research Prize underscores the growing importance of genetics and big data in cardiovascular prevention. For more information, visit the American Heart Association at heart.org or stroke.org.
