AHA Launches First-Ever Network to Revolutionize Heart Transplant Care

The American Heart Association (AHA) is launching a groundbreaking initiative to transform heart transplant care in the U.S., addressing long-standing gaps in innovation, equity, and patient outcomes. Nearly 60 years after the first successful heart transplant, the AHA's first-ever heart transplant research network will include 14 medical research centers and a coordinating center, aiming to create a national, unified infrastructure for data, research, and quality care. According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, about 4,500 heart transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2025, yet over 3,700 people remained on the waiting list. The initiative focuses on three pillars: a global heart transplant data infrastructure, a research network for breakthrough science, and a coordinated path forward modeled after the Get With The Guidelines® success. The network will tackle critical areas like earlier detection of rejection, remote monitoring, viral surveillance, and safer therapies. The AHA has funded over $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the largest non-profit supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S.

Led by Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, the chief science and medical officer of the AHA, the initiative aims to modernize heart transplant care, which has seen little innovation in immunosuppressive therapies and inconsistent outcomes, especially among Black patients and children. The coordinating center will be directed by Emilia Bagiella, Ph.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The 14 research centers include prestigious institutions such as Baylor College of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Columbia University, Duke University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Stanford University, and others. The four-year research grants start July 1, 2026. For patients and families, this initiative represents hope for safer treatments and personalized care. The AHA’s effort is supported by a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll showing 82% of U.S. adults are confident in the AHA to provide trustworthy health information.

The initiative addresses fragmented data systems and limited research investment in heart transplant care. By fostering collaboration and generating actionable data, the AHA aims to ensure advances reach all people equitably. The network will also support planning grants to accelerate clinical trials into immune tolerance and chronic rejection. This ambitious effort marks a critical step toward catching up heart transplant innovation with the rest of cardiovascular medicine.