Scientific Research

The American Heart Association funds, facilitates and accelerates research that saves and improves people's lives. We are committed to making full lifetimes possible by preventing, treating and one day finding cures for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Researcher in white coat at desk with hands on keypad, microscope cut off to the right

The research we fund through the generosity of our donors is helping more people survive heart disease and stroke. We’ve built one of the largest and most trusted research programs in the nation, funding more than $5.9 billion in heart disease and stroke research over the years. Today, we are proud to be the largest private funder of this research.

Our core programs help launch or further work that shows the greatest potential for lifesaving impact. And we've advocated for federal investments in the National Institutes of Health, the world's leading medical research institution that funds research projects and supports research-related jobs across the country.


Rigorous, dependable research has always been at the heart of our efforts.

From major milestones to everyday moments, research is making stories like these possible

Stephanie was just 35 when she went into cardiac arrest. Her husband recognized the signs and immediately began CPR until help arrived. Thanks to medical advancements, including a device that now monitors her heart, Stephanie is turning her second chance into a mission to help others be prepared when every second counts.
Born with a critical heart defect, Kaelyn has had 41 surgeries and a life-saving heart transplant throughout her young life. Now 21, she’s living proof that research saves lives. With another transplant in her future, continued innovation is her hope for a full, thriving life.
On the morning of his daughter’s 11th birthday, Eric’s life changed in an instant when he suffered a rare and often fatal aortic dissection. Thanks to rapid medical response and advancements made possible by research, Eric survived 18 hours of surgery and months of recovery, giving his family the greatest gift of all: more time together.
Once acquaintances, Denise and Erin found themselves on parallel health journeys through heart failure, transplants and recovery, ultimately becoming lifelong friends. Their powerful story shows how research not only saves lives but can also build unexpected bonds.

Groundbreaking results for more than a century

Our longstanding support of scientific research expands beyond funding to facilitating discussions in the scientific community and disseminating findings through meetings and scientific journals. Through these efforts, the American Heart Association has propelled breakthroughs that have saved and improved lives. We have always believed that scientific research could lead the way to better treatment, prevention and ultimately a cure.

The American Heart Association has been committed to funding early-career investigators, whose work is vital to the future of heart and brain health. That commitment has brought results. Among our many research milestones include the first implantable pacemakers, the first artificial heart valve, CPR techniques and cholesterol-lowering medications. And we've funded research for 15 Nobel Prize winners.

Understanding how energy keeps hearts beating

The association awarded its first research grant in 1949 to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. The grant helped fund studies about the energy that muscles, such as the heart, need to contract.

Correcting heart defects in newborns

In 1966, Dr. William Rashkind developed a technique to correct septal defects in newborns, showing that major procedures could be performed inside the heart via a catheter.

Research shows lifesaving value of CPR

Drs. William Kouwenhoven, James Jude and Guy Knickerbocker reported in 1961 that CPR provides blood flow to vital organs for people in cardiac arrest.

Breakthrough opens blocked arteries

Dr. Andrew Marks developed drug-coated stents to prevent the tiny wire tubes from accumulating fatty plaques. These stents keep blocked arteries open while releasing medicine.

You can support lifesaving research

Join the American Heart Association as we continue funding and facilitating scientific research

Volunteer

Nearly 2,000 researchers, health care professionals and volunteers help provide rigorous peer review to ensure we fund the most worthy and promising research projects. Learn more about Peer Review.

Participate

Lifesaving research needs participants like you to join clinical studies, surveys and focus groups. We are currently recruiting participants for research studying heart disease in women and the links between heart health and activity.

Advocate

Join us to advocate for increasing funding for cardiovascular and brain research at the National Institutes of Health, the global leader in biomedical research. Take action today to protect NIH funding.

Accelerating the next scientific breakthroughs

The Heart Association’s Precision Medicine Platform offers cloud-computing capabilities via secure workspaces equipped with state-of-the-art AI and analytics tools to researchers around the globe. If you are a researcher, learn more about our varied initiatives, and how you can play a valuable role.

Our historic endeavor One Brave Idea is awarding $75 million to a single research team aiming to cure coronary heart disease.

Our Strategically Focused Research Networks bring together researchers from top institutions to collaborate on specific topics. Our Collaborative Sciences Awards partner researchers from different disciplines, while our Merit Awards fund creative approaches with the potential to move a field of science forward.

AHA Data Science taps into the power of technology and big data to identify safer and more effective treatment and prevention strategies that are personalized to individuals and populations.