ISH 2024 Award Winners
We are delighted to announce the winners of the ISH 2024 awards who were presented during the ISH Awards and Lectures Session on 21st September in Cartagena, Colombia.
ISH Franz Volhard Award and Lectureship for Outstanding Research
This Award and Lectureship was endowed by Farbwerke Hoechst in 1972 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Franz Volhard. The award is made biennially to a person or persons who has initiated in the field of hypertension or in a related discipline, a concept which remains of current interest. The recipient shall be invited to deliver to the ISH a lecture on the topic for which the award is bestowed.
Recipient:
Stephen Harrap, Australia
The Awards Committee felt that Professor Harrap is highly deserving of the Award and Lectureship, in recognition of his lifetime of global contributions made in hypertension research at the highest level and his outstanding service to the ISH in particular during his time as President and whilst on Council. Professor Harrap is a pioneer in the field of hypertension genetics and one of the few people in the world whose work has spanned the spectrum of both experimental and clinical genetics. Over the last 25 years he has made many seminal contributions to the field from his mapping and characterization of loci that affect blood pressure and related traits, to his world-leading work in identifying genetic variants that affect risk of hypertension in humans. Professor Harrap’s discoveries have laid the foundation for an improved understanding of the genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases and the use of such information for their better prediction, prevention and treatment. Above and beyond his academic achievements he is a tireless campaigner for high blood pressure research, an inspirational speaker, a champion of young scientists and clinicians in the field, as well as the ISH.
Professor Harrap gave a lecture at the ISH Cartagena meeting entitled: “Translating the genetics of blood pressure”
ISH Robert Tigerstedt Lifetime Achievement Award
This award was originally endowed by Merck Sharp & Dohme International in 1974. The award is presented biennially, on the recommendation of the ISH Awards Committee to a person, persons or institution responsible for distinguished work relating to the aetiology, epidemiology, pathology or treatment of high blood pressure. The achievements of the recipient should reflect distinguished contributions in research, teaching or clinical activities relating to the aetiology, epidemiology, pathology or treatment of high blood pressure and successful mentorship of younger colleagues.
Recipients:
A number of extremely high calibre nominations were received for this award this year. The Awards Committee decided to recognise two world-leading scientists for the immense impact of their research in hypertension
Tomasz Guzik, UK
The Awards Committee appreciated Professor Guzik’s lifetime contributions to uncovering the interplay between vascular, renal, and immune mechanisms in hypertension. As a clinician-scientist, Professor Guzik has provided key mechanistic insights into the role of the immune system in hypertension based on experiments conducted in human blood vessels, large-scale epidemiology, genetic inferences, and proof-of-concept clinical trials. Early in his career, Professor Guzik characterised the system of NADPH oxidases (including Nox4, Nox5) in human blood vessels and demonstrated their functional relevance in hypertension and atherosclerosis, and most recently, in chemotherapy-induced vascular damage. Beyond his outstanding original contributions to cardiovascular science, he is a tireless ambassador for experimental hypertension research bringing it to the fore of research agendas of societies, funding agencies, publishers and journals that he is affiliated with. As a result of this, the Society felt that he was an ideal choice for this Award.
Rhian Touyz, Canada
The Awards Committee appreciated Professor Touyz’s lifetime contributions to hypertension research, practice, and the ISH, as well as research leadership. Professor Touyz has made substantial and novel contributions to advance research in hypertension and has an interest in translational research where her discovery science impacts care of patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Professor Touyz has published no less than 643 papers [h-index:145] in areas of interest including vascular signaling and redox biology, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, adipose biology and cardiometabolic disease, cardiovascular toxicity of anti-cancer drugs, small vessel disease and vascular dementia and pathophysiology and management of human hypertension. To add to this, Professor Touyz is the editor-in-chief of Hypertension, contributes to best clinical practice, co-chairs the 2024 European Society of Cardiology hypertension guidelines and has held several leadership roles. Notably Professor Touyz was the first female ISH President, during which time she founded the Women in Hypertension Research Network.
ISH Developing World Award
This award is for a researcher or researchers in the developing world who has done outstanding work in the region.
Recipient:
Patricio Lopez-Jaramillo, Colombia
Professor Lopez has made exceptional contributions to cardiovascular science. It is widely acknowledged by his colleagues that he has an impressive publication record in the field of hypertension. Professor Lopez is a global research leader with a focus on Latin America who has carried out outstanding work in the developing world including training numerous physicians, PhD students, and undergraduates.
ISH Paul Korner Award
Supported by the High Blood Pressure Research Foundation
This award was endowed by the High Blood Pressure Research Foundation in 2013 to honour the late Paul Kroner, an internationally renowned expert in the field of hypertension with a special interest in the neuroscience of blood pressure. The award is presented to a person who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to research on hypertension in the broad field of neuroscience.
Recipient:
Yoshitaka Hirooka, Japan
Professor Hirooka has made major contributions to the neural mechanisms of hypertension and hypertension-related diseases. Professor Hirooka has demonstrated the importance of the central nervous mechanisms involved in hypertension introducing the novel techniques of the gene transfer to the specific cardiovascular centers in the brain. To add to this, he has shown that the activation of the sympathetic nervous system occurs from the brain which is influenced by oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity change and extended this field of research in the world.
ISH Distinguished Fellow Award
Members who have given outstanding service to the ISH and have made unusually distinguished contributions to experimental and clinical research in hypertension may be nominated to be distinguished Members of the Society.
Recipient:
Daniel Piskorz, Argentina
The Awards Committee appreciated Professor Piskorz’s exceptional contributions to cardiovascular science. Professor Piskorz has an impressive publication record in the field of hypertension. He is a global research leader with a focus on Latin America who has carried out outstanding work in the developing world including training numerous physicians, PhD students, and undergraduates.
ISH Outstanding Woman in Hypertension Research Award
- Senior women researchers who have given outstanding service to the ISH and / or made exceptionally distinguished contributions to experimental and / or clinical research in hypertension may be nominated to receive an Outstanding Woman in Hypertension Research Award.
- The Outstanding Woman in Hypertension Award for a woman in a mid-career position will recognise a woman researcher who is 35-45 years of age or 10 full years after postgraduate qualifications who has given outstanding service to the ISH and / or made exceptional contributions to experimental and / or clinical research in hypertension.
Award winners this year come from all corners of the globe.
Senior Award recipients:
Louise Burrell, Australia
Professor Burrell is an active clinician and outstanding and internationally recognised researcher. She has made important contributions to high blood pressure research and to the ISH during her period on the Executive Committee of the Council and various committees. Professor Burrell has a significant track record of translational research in cardiovascular disease with particular expertise in the 2 arms of the renin angiotensin system (RAS), has made seminal contributions to our understanding of the alternative arm of the RAS with expertise in angiotensin converting enzyme 2, published over 240 peer-reviewed papers in high impact specialty journals, whilst remaining committed to training the next generation of hypertension researchers.
Dulce Elena Casarini (Brazil)
Professor Casarini is one of the leading experts in hypertension research in South America. Professor Casarini is nationally and internationally renowned for her research related to the RAS and hypertension in obesity and diabetes, which has resulted in 185 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 47 (Google scholar). Furthermore, Professor Casarini has an outstanding reputation for mentoring early career scientists, in particular women and is a long-standing member of ISH.
Alta Schutte, Australia
Professor Schutte is a leading researcher and international expert in clinical trials and population-based studies in the field of blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular health. She has been the Chief Investigator of several multidisciplinary studies and is involved in numerous international consortia, such as the Global Burden of Disease study, the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, the May Measurement Month global blood pressure screening campaign, World Health Organization (WHO) working groups and the Lancet Commission of Hypertension. Apart from these activities where Professor Schutte has advanced knowledge on global hypertension, she is an international authority on blood pressure monitoring and a role model for all scientists and for women in particular. To add to this, she has made significant contributions to the ISH during her time as President and whilst on Council.
Louise Burrell, Australia
International Society of Hypertension
Dulce Elena Casari, Brazil
International Society of Hypertension
Alta Schutte, Australia
International Society of HypertensionMid-Career Award recipients:
Mariane Bertagnolli, Canada
Dr Bertagnolli is a successful cardiovascular scientist whose research focuses on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and fetal programming and has published 41 papers with 1,760 citations (h-index 24). Furthermore, she has made invaluable contributions to the ISH New Investigator, Women in Hypertension Research and the Mentoring and Training Committees over the last few years.
Mansi Patil, India
Dr Patil has carried out impressive, pioneering work on cardiovascular disease prevention in India and been a tireless supporter of ISH for a number of years. She has participated in numerous prevention programs such as training for home blood pressure measurement for health-care professionals, community screening-camps for hypertension, the MMM campaign India, courses on lifestyle management in hypertension including development of a respective webpage. Dr Patil’s active involvements in ISH are also second to none. She has been an ISH mentee, Women in Hypertension Research Committee member and communications lead, as well as a member of the ISH South and Central Asia Regional Advisory Group.
Neusa Jessen, Mozambique
Professor Jessen is a successful clinician-researcher who has published as first author in leading journals including the European Heart Journal and Global Heart. She has performed critical advocacy work for the Mozambican Heart Association by designing a project and obtaining funding from the global NCD Alliance, leading to formation of the Mozambican NCD Alliance. Professor Jessen has been a board member for the African NCD Network (ANN) since its inception and in 2017 she was selected for the World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders Program, undertaking a project on access to essential CVD medicines in Maputo City. Furthermore, she has made invaluable contributions to ISH New Investigator Committee over the last few years.
Mariane Bertagnoli, Canada
International Society of Hypertension
Mansi Patil, India
International Society of Hypertension
Neusa Jessen, Mozambique
International Society of HypertensionISH Emerging Leaders Awards
These are new awards for 2024 established by the ISH Capacity Building Network (Mentorship and Training, New Investigator and Women in Hypertension Research Committees). Awards will be presented to an early career researcher in each of the ISH regions – where possible – (1) Africa, (2) Americas (3) Asia Pacific, (4) Europe, (5) Middle East and North America and (6) South and Central Asia (SACA) and based on abstracts submitted for the ISH2024 meeting.
Winners:
AFRICA: Adekunle Fakunle, Nigeria
AMERICAS: Yessica Giraldo, Colombia
ASIA PACIFIC (APAC): Kaylee Slater, Australia
EUROPE: Konstantinos Kyriakoulis, Greece
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA): Not to be awarded on this occasion.
SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA (SACA): Abhijit Suresh Chavan, India
Adekunle Fakunle, Nigeria
Yessica Giraldo, Colombia
Kaylee Slater, Australia
Konstantinos Kyriakoulis, Greece
Abhijit Suresh Chavan, India
ISH New Investigator Oral Presentation Awards
This award was established in 2012 to encourage New Investigators and recognise excellence in scientific contribution at the ISH Biennial Scientific Meetings and will be awarded to New Investigators judged from a group of finalists to have given the best oral presentations.
Winners:
Basic Science: Matus Miklovic, Czech Republic
Abstract: Renal denervation improves right ventricular function, restores myocardial norepinephrine levels and reverses ventricular specificity of selected markers in hypertensive rats with heart failure induced by volume overload.
Clinical Science: Anne Myrthe Van Vliet, The Netherlands
Abstract: Daily urinary potassium excretion is not a fixed percentage of daily potassium intake.
ISH New Investigator Poster Presentation Awards
This award was established in 2012 to encourage New Investigators and recognise excellence in scientific contribution at the ISH Biennial Scientific Meetings and will be awarded to New Investigators judged from a group of finalists to have given the best oral presentations.
Winners:
Basic Science: Jéssyca Milene Ribeiro, Brazil
Abstract: EFFECT OF SODIUM NITRITE ON RENAL DAMAGE FROM 2-KIDNEY, 1-CLIP (2K-1C) HYPERTENSION IN RATS
Clinical Science: Niamh Chapman, Australia
Abstract: Recommendations for Home Blood Pressure Measurement Are Inconsistent Between International Guidelines
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