Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., FAHA
Dr. Mitchell Elkind is the American Heart Association Chief Science Officer for Brain Health and Stroke and serves as the senior staff science leader for all Association initiatives related to stroke and brain health, as well as new integrated efforts including cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health and the Health Care by Food (Food Is Medicine) initiative. Previously, he was president of the American Heart Association for 2020-21. He is a tenured Professor Emeritus of Neurology and Epidemiology and founding Chief of the Division of Neurology Clinical Outcomes Research and Population Sciences in the Neurology Department at Columbia University.
As Chief Science Officer for Brain Health and Stroke, Dr. Elkind's trusted voice, collaborative approach, and extensive clinical knowledge and experience are instrumental to ensuring the Association's brain and neuroscience research efforts are patient-centered, highly participatory and inclusive of all populations.
Dr Elkind's own research focuses on stroke prevention, inflammatory and infectious biomarkers in stroke risk prediction, atrial cardiopathy, immune therapy for acute stroke, and vascular causes of cognitive aging. He has been a principal investigator of several federally-funded studies and clinical trials, including research on examining atrial cardiopathy in cryptogenic stroke; stroke risk factors; short-term high-dose statin therapy in acute stroke; and inflammation in stroke treatment.
Dr. Elkind has a longstanding commitment to medical education and research training. In addition to leading the Columbia Neurology residency and fellowship programs, he served as editor of the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association journal Stroke International Stroke Early Career and Training Section, as well as the Neurology journal's Resident and Fellow Section. He also ran National Institutes of Health-funded research training programs for residents and fellows.
As a long-time American Heart Association volunteer, Dr. Elkind has served on numerous leadership committees, including three terms on the National Board of Directors and two terms as chairperson of the ASA Advisory Committee (2016-20). He is a past chair of the Science Advisory and Coordinating Committee, Manuscript Oversight Committee, Awards Subcommittee, and the Governance Committee. Dr. Elkind has served on numerous writing committees for guidelines and scientific statements including co-chairing the writing committee for the 2012 scientific statement on the inclusion of stroke as an outcome and risk equivalent in vascular disease risk scores.
In 2021, Dr. Elkind was honored with the Association's Distinguished National Leadership Award for his significant contributions to our mission, especially in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.