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American Heart Association Establishes Jack Sarver Prize for Groundbreaking Research

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The American Heart Association has established two prestigious awards, the Jack Sarver Prize in Clinical Science and the Jack Sarver Prize in Basic Science, to recognize outstanding research in cardiovascular disease. The inaugural prizes will be awarded to Dr. Zainab Mahmoud and Dr. Zhao Zhang at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. Dr. Mahmoud's research focuses on preventing preeclampsia in Nigeria, while Dr. Zhang's research explores the genetic factors contributing to atherosclerosis and liver disease.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Jack Sarver Prize in Clinical Science and the Jack Sarver Prize in Basic Science were established through a gift to the American Heart Association in honor of Jack Sarver, who died of heart disease in 1979 at the age of 58.
  • The inaugural prizes will be awarded to Dr. Zainab Mahmoud and Dr. Zhao Zhang at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025.
  • Dr. Mahmoud's research assessed the effectiveness of aspirin prophylaxis in preventing preeclampsia in Nigeria, a country where more women die in childbirth than anywhere else in the world.
  • Dr. Zhang's research identified a rare, dominant mutation implicating HELZ2 protein as a potential therapeutic target for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and atherosclerosis.
  • The research was conducted using a mouse model, which investigated mechanisms for addressing these risks and discovered a link between APOB mRNA stability and the risk of MASLD and atherosclerosis.
  • Dr. Mahmoud earned her medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and completed her residency in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital.
  • Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. in developmental biology from the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, and completed postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
  • The Jack Sarver Prize awards will continue to recognize outstanding research in cardiovascular disease, with established investigators eligible to receive up to $35,000 to further their scientific research career.

Statistics:

  • The American Heart Association has established the Jack Sarver Prize in Clinical Science and the Jack Sarver Prize in Basic Science to recognize outstanding research in cardiovascular disease.
  • The inaugural prizes will be awarded to Dr. Zainab Mahmoud and Dr. Zhao Zhang at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025, which will be held on November 7-10, 2025, in New Orleans.
  • More women die in Nigeria around the time of childbirth than anywhere else in the world, with preeclampsia being a leading cause of these deaths.
  • The study by Dr. Mahmoud assessed aspirin use among at-risk pregnant women and explored ways to overcome obstacles to improve treatment options.
  • Dr. Zhang's research used a mouse model to investigate mechanisms for addressing the risks of MASLD and atherosclerosis and discovered a link between APOB mRNA stability and these risks.

Sources:

  • American Heart Association, Inc.
  • "Inaugural Jack Sarver Prize Honors Groundbreaking Research by St. Louis, Dallas Scientists" (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/inaugural-jack-sarver-prize-honors-groundbreaking-research-by-st-louis-dallas-scientists?preview=5b8ab674f425bbf0f22884ebfe7ea67c)
  • "About the American Heart Association" (https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/about-the-american-heart-association)

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