NYC, Baltimore research scientists receive grants to study cardiovascular/diabetes connection

(Press-News.org) DALLAS, April 1, 2025 — A New York City-based physician scientist who explores ways to improve health by looking at the ways in which cells and molecules impact disease and an epidemiologist from Baltimore who has devoted her career to identifying ways to improve screening, diagnosis and patient care for people with diabetes are the most recent American Heart Association Merit Award recipients. Over the next five years, each researcher will receive a total of $1 million in funding from the Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

The American Heart Association’s Merit Award is one of the most prestigious competitive research awards given by the Association, the largest non-government funder of cardiovascular research in the United States. The Merit Award supports scientists who have consistently performed highly promising, novel research with the potential to move cardiovascular science forward quickly, with high impact. The recipients of the 2025 award are:

Ann Marie Schmidt, M.D., the Dr. Iven Young Professor of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine, the Holman Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Department of Pathology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City; and Elizabeth (Liz) Selvin, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA, Director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. She holds a joint appointment in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Each year, the American Heart Association recognizes recipients of the Merit Awards as investigators with established track records of success in major research challenges in the areas of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. Their scientific exploration has the potential to produce unusually high impact toward the Association’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” said Keith Churchwell, M.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer president, an associate clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut and adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. “Diabetes is one of the major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and as prevalence of both conditions rise, it’s become imperative that we learn all we can about the ways they’re connected. This year’s recipients are already renowned for their work in identifying the important connections between cardiovascular disease and diabetes and I’m excited to see where their future exploration will take us in learning how to better manage these chronic conditions that take the lives of too many people each year.”

Schmidt’s research will focus on the large white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system and are known to contribute to diabetic complications. Her research team will expand on their discovery of a protein molecule called the ‘receptor for advanced glycation end products’ (RAGE) that may be one of the ways that diabetic white blood cells damage the body. Studying diabetic and non-diabetic mouse and human white blood cells, the team will look for ways to disrupt this damaging molecular process and, in turn, potentially develop new treatment therapies.

“Diabetes damages the body head-to-toe and this happens slowly over many years. We know people with diabetes have more strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, blindness and kidney problems, yet the reasons for this connection are not fully known,” Schmidt said. “We surmise that learning how large white blood cells in diabetes cause damage will show us new ways to stop their bad actions and decrease harm to the body. As diabetes robs people of good health and years of life, our work may help to fulfill the American Heart Association mission to improve health, especially for people with diabetes.”

Selvin’s research will focus on improving cardiovascular health in people with diabetes. Her seminal studies on the association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and diabetes complications helped establish the scientific foundation and clinical criteria for using HbA1c to diagnose diabetes. This Merit Award will support new research focusing on wearable continuous glucose monitors and their association with cardiometabolic risk in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

“An important part of our work will be providing opportunities for trainees to engage in research with direct implications for policy and clinical practice,” Selvin said. “Helping to grow the next generation of scientists is critical to our ongoing work to save lives through improvements in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”

Funding scientific research and discovery through initiatives like the annual merit awards is a cornerstone of the century-old American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission. The Association has now funded more than $5.9 billion of scientific research since 1949, making it the single largest non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. New knowledge resulting from this funding continues to save lives and directly impact millions of people in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.

About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day.  Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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