Dr. Pradeep Natarajan, a prominent cardiovascular geneticist and researcher, is set to receive the American Heart Association’s 2026 Population Research Prize. The honor will be presented during the organization’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago, recognizing his extensive work in cardiovascular research and the use of human genetics to better understand heart disease.
Natarajan joined Amgen in August as vice president of global research, where he leads human genetics and the company’s Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Area. Despite taking on the industry role, he continues his academic work as a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and as a distinguished physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Much of Natarajan’s research has focused on using genetic information and large-scale population data to investigate cardiovascular conditions. His areas of study have included abnormal lipid levels, coronary artery disease, clonal hematopoiesis and methods for improving the prediction of cardiovascular risk. His research has contributed to efforts to better identify individuals who may face elevated risks of heart disease.
Over the course of his career, Natarajan has contributed to more than 330 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has directed multiple studies supported by the National Institutes of Health. One NIH Common Fund project he led received $11.2 million in funding and examines somatic mosaicism across different human tissues.
His relationship with the American Heart Association spans more than a decade. He began volunteering with the organization in 2011 and has chaired its Data Science and Precision Medicine Committee since 2024. He has also been part of the Scientific Sessions Planning Committee since 2021 and contributed to expert writing groups examining polygenic risk scores, consumer genetic testing and clonal hematopoiesis.
Natarajan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. He later completed a master’s degree in medical sciences in biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School.
His previous distinctions include elections to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2022 and the Association of American Physicians in 2024. The American Heart Association also honored him with the Joseph A. Vita Award in 2023 and the Genomic and Precision Medicine Mid-Career Award in 2025.
