The American Heart Association (AHA) has announced the launch of a new research network aimed at transforming heart transplant care in the United States. The initiative, announced on June 3, 2026, includes 14 medical research centers and a coordinating center, bringing together scientists to create a national infrastructure for data, research, and quality care. This effort seeks to address long-standing gaps in innovation, equity, and patient outcomes that have persisted since the first successful heart transplant nearly 60 years ago.
According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, about 4,500 heart transplantations were performed in the U.S. in 2025, the highest number ever recorded. However, more than 3,700 people remained on the waiting list. Dr. Mariell Jessup, the AHA's chief science and medical officer, noted that despite advances in cardiovascular medicine, the system supporting heart transplantation has remained largely unchanged. Transplant recipients face challenges such as difficulty detecting rejection early, reliance on outdated immunosuppressive therapies, and inconsistent outcomes, particularly among Black patients and children.
The initiative focuses on three key pillars. First, a global heart transplant data infrastructure will be developed in collaboration with leading transplant organizations. This dynamic platform will enable real-time insights for research, quality improvement, and policy advancement. Second, a research network will focus on breakthrough science in areas such as earlier detection of rejection, remote monitoring technologies, viral surveillance, and development of safer therapies. The network will also support planning grants for clinical trials on immune tolerance and chronic rejection. Third, a coordinated path forward will establish a scalable quality improvement framework, modeled after the AHA's Get With The Guidelines® program, to standardize care and improve long-term outcomes.
The coordinating center will be led by Dr. Emilia Bagiella from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Other participating centers include Baylor College of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Columbia University, Duke University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Medical University of South Carolina, Stanford University, University of California San Diego, University of Colorado Denver, University of Pennsylvania, University of Utah, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The four-year research grants begin July 1, 2026.
Dr. Jessup emphasized that this initiative represents hope for safer treatments, more personalized care, and better long-term outcomes for patients and families. The AHA has funded more than $6.1 billion in cardiovascular research since 1949, making it the largest non-profit supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. According to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, 82% of U.S. adults trust the AHA to provide trustworthy public health information.
