Association of Black Cardiologists and American College of Cardiology
Celebrate 2022 Research Award Winners

Washington, D.C., April 7, 2022 —  The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) is pleased to announce that Kemar Brown, MD, Debra Dixon, MD, MS, Zainab Mahmoud, MD, and Victoria Thomas, MD, were among the seven recipients of the 2022 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ABC Research Fellowship Awards, intended to support the training and development of young cardiovascular investigators. Awardees were recognized during the ACC Convocation Ceremony on April 4 at ACC’s hybrid 71st Annual Scientific Session in Washington, DC.

The ACC and the ABC joined together with Merck and BMS to offer rising cardiovascular investigators the opportunity to launch their careers with one year of protected research from ACC’s Research Fellowship Awards Program. This year, four one-year fellowships through the ACC/ABC Bristol Myers Squibb Research Fellowship Award and three one-year fellowships through the ACC/ABC Merck Research Fellowship Awards were awarded to early-career physicians.

Dr. Brown, a clinical and research fellow in cardiovascular medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Dixon, a cardiovascular medicine fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), emerged as two of the top four finalists.

Their research titles are:

⋅Kemar Brown, MD: “Probing for ancestry-based differences in the human cardiac transcriptome”
⋅Debra Dixon, MD, MS: “Psychosocial determinants of disparities in heart failure related healthcare utilization and  mortality”

Dr. Mahmoud, a cardiology fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis, and Dr. Thomas, also a cardiology fellow at VUMC, were both named the 2022 ACC/ABC Merck Research Fellowship Award winners.

Their research titles are:

⋅Zainab Mahmoud, MD: “Feasibility and Acceptability of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring and Risk
Stratification in the  Fourth Trimester to Reduce Maternal Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in
Nigeria: A  Mixed Methods Study”
⋅Victoria Thomas, MD: “PAD Raise Awareness in Sacred Environments (PRAISE)”

Recipients are expected to pursue a full-time project in clinical research during their year of supported training from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. See the full announcement here.

About the Association of Black Cardiologists
Founded in 1974, the ABC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the disparities related to cardiovascular disease and achieving health equity such that all people can live long healthy lives. Membership is open to all interested in the care of people with or at risk for cardiovascular disease, including health professionals, lay members of the community (Community Health Advocates), corporate and institutional members. Today, the ABC’s public and private partnerships continue to increase its impact in communities across the nation. For more information, visit www.abcardio.org and connect with ABC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and lead in the formation of health policy, standards, and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.