Stanford's Fatima Rodriguez to Receive Prestigious 2025 Joseph A. Vita Award for Cardiovascular Research

Dr. Fatima Rodriguez, an associate professor of medicine, vice chair of clinical research, and section chief of preventive cardiology at Stanford Medicine, will be honored with the 2025 Joseph A. Vita Award at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The award ceremony will take place during the opening session on November 9, 2025, in New Orleans, where the premier global cardiovascular science meeting gathers experts from November 7-10.

The Joseph A. Vita Award, named after the late cardiovascular scientist who founded the American Heart Association's Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), recognizes scientists whose research has significantly advanced cardiovascular biology or health within the past five years. Selection is made by the editors-in-chief of the Association's 14 peer-reviewed scientific journals, celebrating work that transforms or changes the direction of cardiovascular research.

Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized that Dr. Rodriguez exemplifies the award's criteria through her innovative, impactful, and patient-centered approach. Her work has directly improved cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention strategies, making them more personalized and data-driven. This advancement represents a significant shift toward precision medicine in cardiology, potentially affecting how millions of patients worldwide receive preventive care.

As an expert in cardiometabolic disease prevention, Dr. Rodriguez leads a multidisciplinary research program that leverages technology and data science to personalize cardiovascular risk prediction. Her research focuses on uncovering drivers of cardiovascular outcome disparities across different populations and developing evidence-based interventions. This work receives funding from multiple prestigious organizations, including the American Heart Association, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (a division of the National Institutes of Health), and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Dr. Rodriguez's recognition carries broader implications for the cardiovascular field and public health. Her research approach addresses critical gaps in healthcare equity while advancing personalized medicine applications. The award highlights the growing importance of data-driven prevention strategies in combating heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death globally. Her work demonstrates how technological integration can transform traditional risk assessment methods, potentially leading to more effective early intervention programs.

In her response to the honor, Dr. Rodriguez noted that personal family experiences with heart disease shaped her career focus on improving cardiovascular risk prediction and developing more personalized, equitable treatment strategies. She expressed that this recognition reinforces the importance of continuing research, clinical practice, teaching, and advocacy efforts to ensure better outcomes for patients and communities. With over 270 peer-reviewed publications and previous honors including the 2022 Douglas P. Zipes Distinguished Young Scientist Award from the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Rodriguez's work continues to influence cardiovascular care standards and research directions.

The award presentation at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 will spotlight the critical intersection of technology, data science, and cardiovascular medicine. As healthcare increasingly moves toward personalized approaches, Dr. Rodriguez's research provides a model for how innovative thinking can address persistent challenges in disease prevention and health equity. The recognition also underscores the American Heart Association's commitment to advancing cardiovascular science through its peer-reviewed publications and scientific meetings.