NYU's Judith Hochman to Receive 2025 Research Achievement Award for Transformative Cardiology Research
Dr. Judith Hochman's recognition by the American Heart Association highlights her pivotal clinical trials that have reshaped global cardiology guidelines and improved patient outcomes in ischemic heart disease.
Dr. Judith S. Hochman, senior associate dean for clinical sciences and founding director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, will receive the 2025 Research Achievement Award at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025. The award recognizes her decades of research that have directly influenced global clinical practice guidelines in cardiology and improved patient care across the spectrum of ischemic heart disease.
Dr. Hochman's most impactful work includes serving as principal investigator for three landmark international trials funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Occluded Artery Trial (OAT) demonstrated no clinical benefit for late angioplasty in stable, post-myocardial infarction patients, despite promising animal model findings. The SHOCK Trial established a clear survival advantage for early revascularization in patients with cardiogenic shock due to left ventricular failure after acute MI, reducing mortality rates by 13 absolute percentage points at one-year and long-term.
Her most recent clinical trial, the ISCHEMIA trial, compared initial invasive versus conservative treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease. While finding no significant difference in all-cause mortality, the trial identified substantial quality-of-life improvement among patients with angina who received invasive treatment. These three trials led to new and revised recommendations in joint clinical guidelines from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology as well as guidelines from other international medical organizations.
Beyond her revascularization research, Dr. Hochman is recognized as a trailblazer in women's cardiovascular health. In the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction IIIb trial, she was among the first to study sex differences in women with acute coronary syndromes and to recognize the substantial incidence of women with these syndromes having no obstructive coronary disease. Her leadership roles for the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative Advisory Committee and multiple NIH Data and Safety Monitoring Boards reflect her enduring commitment to advancing women's health and ensuring rigor in clinical trials.
Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized Dr. Hochman's impact, stating her research has directly influenced patient care and her relentless commitment to improving outcomes has been a driving force in numerous cardiology advances available today. Dr. Hochman has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications and serves on editorial boards for several scientific journals, including Circulation, JAMA Cardiology, and the European Heart Journal.
The significance of this recognition extends beyond individual achievement, highlighting how rigorous clinical research can transform medical practice and improve patient outcomes globally. Dr. Hochman's work exemplifies how evidence-based medicine can challenge conventional wisdom and lead to more effective, targeted treatments for cardiovascular conditions, ultimately saving lives and improving quality of life for millions of patients worldwide.