NYU Cardiologist Judith Hochman to Receive 2025 Research Achievement Award for Transformative Clinical Trials

Judith S. Hochman, M.D., FAHA, 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 groundbreaking research that has fundamentally changed cardiovascular care practices globally. Dr. Hochman's work as principal investigator for several pivotal international trials has directly informed clinical guidelines and improved patient survival rates across multiple cardiac conditions.

Her most influential studies include the Occluded Artery Trial (OAT), which demonstrated no clinical benefit for late angioplasty in stable post-myocardial infarction patients despite promising animal model findings. The SHOCK Trial established the clear survival advantage for early revascularization in patients with cardiogenic shock due to left ventricular failure after acute MI, showing that emergency revascularization reduced mortality rates by 13 absolute percentage points at one-year and long-term. This finding led to increased use of early revascularization in cardiogenic shock with improved survival in community settings. Her most recent clinical trial, the NHLBI-funded international ISCHEMIA trial compared initial invasive versus conservative treatment strategies for stable coronary artery disease and found no significant difference in all-cause mortality but identified substantial quality-of-life improvement among patients with angina who received invasive treatment.

These three trials led to new and revised recommendations regarding the role of revascularization in the joint clinical guidelines from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology as well as guidelines from other international medical organizations. Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president, emphasized that Dr. Hochman's research has directly impacted patient care across the full spectrum of ischemic heart disease, describing her as a visionary leader unafraid to tackle complex questions whose relentless commitment to improving patient outcomes has been a driving force in numerous cardiology advances available today.

Beyond her revascularization research, Dr. Hochman is recognized as a trailblazer in women's cardiovascular health. In the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction IIIb (TIMI 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, a concept that has since gained substantial attention. Her leadership roles for the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative Advisory Committee reflect her enduring commitment to advancing women's health, while her service on multiple NIH Data and Safety Monitoring Boards demonstrates her dedication to ensuring rigor and safety in clinical trials.

Dr. Hochman's contributions extend beyond research to significant editorial roles, serving on editorial boards for several peer-reviewed scientific journals including Circulation, JAMA Cardiology and the European Heart Journal. Her decades-long commitment to the Heart Association includes service on the Science Advisory Coordinating Committee, local and national research committees, the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee and the Women in Cardiology Committee. This award adds to her previous recognitions from the organization, including the 2023 American Heart Association Distinguished Scientist Award and the Council on Clinical Cardiology Distinguished Achievement Award, the 2018 James B. Herrick Award, the 2014 Clinical Research Prize and the 2008 Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award.