The American Heart Association will recognize Dr. Pradeep Natarajan, a cardiovascular geneticist whose research harnesses human genetics and large-scale population data, with its 2026 Population Research Prize. The award will be presented during the Association's Scientific Sessions 2026, held Nov. 6-9 in Chicago, at the Presidential Session on Sunday, Nov. 8. The meeting is a premier global exchange of the latest cardiovascular science and clinical practice updates.
Dr. Natarajan is internationally recognized for using human genetics and data from large, diverse populations to transform the understanding and prevention of cardiovascular disease. His research has uncovered genetic mechanisms in lipid disorders, coronary artery disease and clonal hematopoiesis, while advancing polygenic risk scores and precision medicine approaches that may help identify individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk earlier in life. His discoveries have also accelerated the development of novel therapeutic targets.
“Congratulations to Dr. Pradeep Natarajan for his groundbreaking work that has redefined how human genetics and large population studies can be used to prevent cardiovascular disease,” said Manesh R. Patel, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2026-2027 volunteer president. “His innovative research has helped bridge genomic discovery with clinical application, advancing precision medicine while improving our understanding of cardiovascular risk across diverse populations.”
Dr. Natarajan joined Amgen in August 2026 as vice president of global research, head of human genetics and head of the Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Area. He also serves as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a distinguished physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
His most influential contributions include advancing the interpretation of whole-genome sequencing for cardiovascular disease, identifying novel genetic pathways in lipid metabolism and coronary artery disease, and developing polygenic risk prediction tools designed to improve prevention. His work has integrated genomics, multi-omics, electronic health records and large population biobanks, spanning international collaborations involving millions of participants.
A longtime volunteer leader with the Heart Association since 2011, Dr. Natarajan has been a member of its Data Science and Precision Medicine Committee since 2020, serving as vice chair from 2022 to 2024 and chair since 2024. He also served on the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee since 2021 and as vice chair of the writing groups for three scientific statements addressing polygenic risk scores for cardiovascular disease, direct-to-consumer genetic testing for cardiovascular disease and the cardiovascular implications of clonal hematopoiesis. He was also a member of the writing committee for the 2026 Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from the American Heart Association, an organization that shares my mission to improve health outcomes for those impacted by cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Natarajan. “I have dedicated my career to discovering and understanding the drivers of cardiovascular disease using human genetics, innovative methods and interdisciplinary collaboration towards optimal cardiovascular prevention and health.”
In addition to his research, Dr. Natarajan has mentored dozens of early-career investigators and directed educational programs in cardiovascular genetics and precision medicine. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master of medical sciences degree in biomedical informatics from Harvard Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and his cardiovascular medicine fellowship and postdoctoral research training in human genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Natarajan has authored or co-authored more than 330 peer-reviewed publications and has served as principal investigator on several major NIH-funded studies, including an $11.2 million NIH Common Fund project advancing the study of somatic mosaicism across human tissues. His achievements have earned election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2022 and the Association of American Physicians in 2024, as well as the Heart Association's Joseph A. Vita Award in 2023 and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Mid-Career Award in 2025.
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