Professor Wins Two Awards from American Heart Association.

Emelia Benjamin, professor of epidemiology, has received two awards from the American Heart Association (AHA): the 2019 Laennec Clinician/Educator Lecture, which recognizes her contributions and achievements in the field of clinical cardiology, and the 2019 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine (GPM) for her substantial professional contributions to the field represented by the council.

Benjamin, who is also a professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, a cardiologist at Boston Medical Center, and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study, has authored more than 600 publications and her expertise in the genetic epidemiology of atrial fibrillation has helped elucidate the risk factors and mechanisms that underlie the development of the abnormal heart rhythm.

In addition to her research, Benjamin has guided numerous young investigators and faculty members on research projects and has been a mentor to more than 50 people in academic health sciences. She serves as assistant provost of faculty development at BUMC and has designed and implemented five longitudinal faculty development programs.

“The most meaningful part of my career as a clinician, educator, and scientist has been the opportunity to work on diverse multidisciplinary teams advancing clinical care, education, and research,” says Benjamin. “I feel blessed that as assistant provost of faculty development, I have the opportunity to mentor and facilitate faculty development programs that span BUMC, which allow colleagues from multiple disciplines to peer mentor each other.”

Benjamin has received additional AHA awards in previous years, including the 2016 Gold Heart Award, the 2015 Paul Dudley White Award, the 2013 Functional Genomics and Translational Biology Council Mentoring Award, and the 2012 Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award.

The Laennec/Clinician/Educator lecture was established in 1970 by the Laennec Society, a section of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, but was not presented consistently until 1978. The major aim of the society was to promote the importance of bedside cardiology and the application of clinical research to the bedside.

The GPM Distinguished Achievement Award is presented every three years to recognize individuals who have made major contributions to the affairs of the council over a continuing period of time.