In a landmark announcement that underscores the advancing frontier of cardiovascular research, Barbara Riegel, Ph.D., R.N., FAHA, Emerita Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor of Gerontology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, has been named the recipient of the American Heart Association’s Clinical Research Prize for 2025. This prestigious award will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025, scheduled from November 7 to 10 in New Orleans, during the event’s highly anticipated Presidential Session on November 9. The recognition celebrates Dr. Riegel’s transformative contributions to the science of chronic disease management, particularly her pioneering work in self-care among patients with cardiovascular conditions.
Dr. Riegel’s career is marked by a rare blend of rigorous clinical research and an empathetic focus on patient-centered care. Her research trajectory has centered on the intricate aspects of self-care for individuals grappling with chronic illnesses such as heart failure. Self-care, as conceptualized by Dr. Riegel, is an expansive construct that encompasses treatment adherence, vigilant condition monitoring, and the nuanced self-management of symptoms. By decades of dedicated inquiry, she has pioneered measurable frameworks that bridge the experiential realities of patients with the practical demands of clinical care.
At the heart of Dr. Riegel’s scientific legacy is the development of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index. This instrument stands as the gold standard internationally for quantifying self-care behaviors and burdens among heart failure patients. Through meticulous psychometric evaluation and iterative refinement, the index offers a multidimensional approach to assess how patients manage their conditions outside clinical settings. Its adoption has been widespread, influencing clinical protocols, guiding educational programs, and shaping interdisciplinary research agendas globally.
Her research has incrementally expanded to address one of the most critical yet often overlooked populations in cardiovascular care: caregivers. Recognizing that the health and well-being of caregivers are deeply intertwined with patient outcomes, Dr. Riegel has recently advanced virtual health coaching interventions designed to bolster caregiver self-care. These innovations represent the cutting edge of integrating technology with behavioral science, aiming to alleviate caregiver burden and optimize the caregiving dynamic in chronic illness contexts.
Dr. Riegel’s contributions have not gone unnoticed by her peers. The American Heart Association has honored her with several awards across her career span, reflecting continued excellence and influence. Notably, her early recognition in 1998 with the Heart Failure Research Prize set the stage for subsequent accolades, including a lifetime achievement award in 2005 and a distinction as one of the top cardiovascular scientists in 2009. Her recognition as a Distinguished Scientist in 2015 encapsulates her enduring impact on cardiovascular nursing and clinical science.
Beyond the American Heart Association, Dr. Riegel’s research excellence has been acknowledged through honors from critical care and nursing research organizations, evidencing the broad interdisciplinary impact of her work. These honors include the Distinguished Research Lectureship from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award from the University of Pennsylvania. In an international gesture of respect and recognition, Linköping University in Sweden awarded her an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree in 2022, reflecting the global resonance of her research in self-care science.
Her academic foundation is robust and interdisciplinary. Dr. Riegel earned her doctorate in nursing with a complementary minor in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where her initial Doctor of Nursing Science degree was converted to a Ph.D. She also holds a master’s degree in nursing with summa cum laude distinction, emphasizing her clinical expertise as a cardiopulmonary nurse specialist. Her educational journey began at the Jewish Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, culminating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from San Diego State University, where she graduated cum laude.
With a prolific output exceeding 400 peer-reviewed articles and 36 book chapters, Dr. Riegel’s written contributions have shaped contemporary understanding of chronic disease self-management. Her role as a visiting scholar in multiple countries, including Italy, Australia, and Sweden, underscores her commitment to global knowledge exchange and cross-cultural research collaboration. This international experience has further enriched her perspective on the universal challenges and solutions in cardiovascular care.
The significance of Dr. Riegel’s work lies in its translational nature: moving beyond theoretical conceptualizations of self-care towards practical tools and interventions that tangibly improve patient and caregiver outcomes. Her research addresses fundamental challenges in chronic disease management, including variability in patient adherence, symptom recognition, and timely clinical intervention. By providing validated instruments and frameworks, her work enables clinicians to better understand patient behavior, tailor interventions, and ultimately reduce hospital readmissions and improve quality of life.
In addition to advancing science, Dr. Riegel’s work highlights the importance of integrating caregiver dynamics into the healthcare paradigm. Caregivers often face high levels of stress and health risks, yet their needs remain under-addressed in traditional clinical models. Her recent focus on virtual coaching modalities represents a forward-thinking approach, leveraging digital health technologies to provide scalable, accessible support for caregivers. This approach also aligns with broader healthcare trends emphasizing telehealth and patient-centered care models.
American Heart Association’s 2025-2026 president, Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, emphasizes Dr. Riegel’s role as a catalyst for change in chronic disease care. According to Dr. Rosen, Dr. Riegel’s innovative research is “shaping care models worldwide and improving the lives of patients and caregivers alike.” This endorsement reflects the broader clinical and scientific community’s recognition of the profound shifts taking place in cardiovascular health management, catalyzed by research like Dr. Riegel’s.
Dr. Riegel’s dedication to improving lives extends beyond research to active engagement with professional communities. She holds fellowships across multiple prominent organizations including the Heart Failure Society of America, the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Nursing. These affiliations highlight her leadership role in nursing science and her influence on healthcare policy and practice at multiple levels.
As the landscape of cardiovascular care continues to evolve, the integration of self-care science pioneered by Dr. Riegel provides a crucial framework for addressing chronic disease in a sustainable, patient-centered manner. Her work not only enriches the academic and clinical understanding of heart failure management but fundamentally transforms how care delivery models incorporate patient and caregiver agency. The recognition of her contributions by the American Heart Association solidifies her legacy as a visionary in cardiovascular clinical research destined to inspire future innovations.
Subject of Research: Self-care in chronic illness, particularly heart failure, and caregiver support in cardiovascular disease management.
Article Title: Barbara Riegel Awarded American Heart Association’s 2025 Clinical Research Prize for Groundbreaking Work in Cardiovascular Self-Care Science.
News Publication Date: September 17, 2025
Keywords: Clinical research, Cardiovascular science, Heart failure, Self-care, Chronic disease management, Caregiver support, Psychometric testing, Virtual health coaching, Nursing research, Cardiopulmonary nursing, Cardiovascular nursing, Patient adherence
