Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT / 8 a.m. ET Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021
(NewMediaWire) – November 03, 2021 – DALLAS – The American Heart Association (AHA), a global force for longer, healthier lives, will present its 2021 Population Research Prize to Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She will receive the award during the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 14 at the Association’s Scientific Sessions 2021. The meeting will be fully virtual, Saturday, Nov. 13 through Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, and is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science for health care worldwide.
The Population Research Prize recognizes an individual who is making outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science and who currently leads an exceptional laboratory focused on cardiovascular population research.
Dr. Powell-Wiley was selected as this year’s Population Research Prize because of her on-going work to improve understanding of the social determinants of obesity and cardiovascular disease, which is the focus of her laboratory and research group. She is currently leading three multi-year clinical trials aimed to better understand the determinants of health in at-risk communities in Washington, D.C.
“Dr. Powell-Wiley’s innovative community-based research aims to improve health outcomes for at-risk populations by harnessing readily accessible technology in new ways,” said Association President Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA. “Her work represents the very best of population implementation research in action, and I’m excited to see how her research shapes the future of community-based heart health education and prevention outreach.”
Dr. Powell-Wiley is a Stadtman Investigator and chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory in the Cardiovascular Branch of the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She is an adjunct investigator in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and she is a staff cardiologist at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
Her research is focused on developing cardiovascular interventions that can be tailored to meet community needs and ultimately improve health outcomes among high-risk populations. She is leading the development of multidisciplinary, community-based cardiovascular health behavior interventions. Her three current clinical trials are: A Geospatial Analysis of Neighborhood Environmental Stress in Relation to Biological Markers of Cardiovascular Health and Health Behaviors in Women; Tailoring Mobile Health Technology to Reduce Obesity and Improve Cardiovascular Health in Resource-Limited Neighborhood Environments; and A Cardiovascular Health and Needs Assessment in Washington D.C. The D.C. Cardiovascular Health and Obesity Collaborative, the partnering community advisory board that collaborates in the design and implementation of Dr. Powell-Wiley’s studies, serves as a venue for community and academic leaders throughout the D.C. metropolitan area to identify targets and tools for improving cardiovascular health for the populations they serve. Dr. Powell-Wiley’s laboratory, which centers community engagement in its research approach, is a first-of-its-kind in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Intramural Program.
“I am extremely honored to be the 2021 recipient of the AHA’s Population Research Prize,” said Dr. Powell-Wiley. “I was fortunate enough to be introduced to AHA’s Scientific Sessions as a medical student doing research at the National Institutes of Health, and I have been a committed member of AHA for most of my medical career. Being a part of AHA opened my eyes to the possibilities of population science in cardiology and the myriad ways that I could combine my interests in epidemiology with community-based participatory research to investigate the role of social determinants of health in cardiovascular outcomes and to identify interventions that may mitigate the biological effects of adverse social conditions.”
Her work utilizes community-based participatory research to improve our understanding of the social determinants of obesity and other conditions that adversely impact cardiovascular health. She has been recognized through National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Director’s awards for her mentorship of research fellows and for promoting diversity in her work. She has authored more than 90 published articles for peer-reviewed medical and social science journals. Dr. Powell-Wiley is an associate editor for Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine; she is an editorial board member for Circulation. (Note: Circulation is published by the American Heart Association.)
She earned her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. She completed her residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and her fellowship in cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. In 2013, she was recognized by the Association as the Greater Washington Region Bronze Ambassador.
“In my career, I am thankful that I have been able to collaborate with and learn from partners who are advocating to improve cardiovascular health in their communities and providing voice for those who have been marginalized in the health care system,” said Dr. Powell-Wiley. “I am also grateful for guidance and inspiration from all of my mentors and role models both in times of success and turmoil through my academic training and as a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health. My laboratory’s interdisciplinary work requires fruitful collaborations, but most of all, it happens because of the dedication and unyielding efforts of current and former team members. There have been many days that I was inspired to keep moving a project forward by the excitement conveyed by a research fellow or team member about the work they were doing. Finally, my career as a population scientist would not be possible without the support and encouragement from my family, especially my husband Dr. Kenneth L. Wiley Jr.”
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The American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2021 is a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science for health care professionals worldwide. The three-day meeting will feature more than 500 sessions focused on breakthrough cardiovascular basic, clinical and population science updates in a fully virtual experience Saturday, Nov. 13 through Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Thousands of leading physicians, scientists, cardiologists, advanced practice nurses and allied health care professionals from around the world will convene virtually to participate in basic, clinical and population science presentations, discussions and curricula that can shape the future of cardiovascular science and medicine, including prevention and quality improvement. During the three-day meeting, attendees receive exclusive access to more than 4,000 original research presentations and can earn Continuing Medical Education (CME), Continuing Education (CE) or Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits for educational sessions. Engage in Scientific Sessions 2021 on social media via #AHA21.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies, and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
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