Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, FAHA, professor in Cardiovascular Medicine and Vice Chair for Research, now serves as Chair of the American Heart Association’s Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC).

Grumbach has been an active member of the AHA since 2002 and has worked to support women and women’s issues in science as a member of the WLC since 2014. Grumbach served a term as Vice Chair before rising to this leadership role.

“We organize several events at the AHA scientific meetings, including a poster competition for graduate students and postdocs and the Mentor of Women luncheon that usually sells out,” Grumbach said, providing some examples of WLC’s efforts. “We also honor someone on the AHA who has been a particularly strong advocate for women.” This year’s honor went to Dr. Nancy Webb of the University of Kentucky, program chair of last month’s ATVB Vascular Discovery meeting in Boston.

Below is a photo from a recent WLC meeting, at which Dr. Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham Health and former NIH/NHLBI director, delivered the keynote address.

For twenty years, the ATVB WLC has encouraged excellence among women in cardiac science and academic medicine. Through events, meetings, networking forums and more, the WLC “is committed to fostering fellowship and promoting excellence among women in science and academic medicine. The WLC encourages the advancement of women’s scientific careers at all stages, promotes the visibility and engagement of women in ATVB activities, meetings and leadership, and provides forums for professional networking to cultivate collaboration within and outside the ATVB Council. The WLC also honors outstanding junior women for scholarly and research excellence, and established scientists for exemplary achievement in mentorship of women.”