Penn Cardiovascular Institute director honored as Distinguished Scientist
Pioneering heart disease research earns prestigious American Heart Association recognition.
Daniel P. Kelly, MD, the Willard and Rhoda Ware Professor of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases and Director of the Penn and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiovascular Institutes, has been named a 2025 Distinguished Scientist by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Created in 2003, the AHA’s Distinguished Scientist designation honors AHA/ASA members who have made extraordinary contributions to cardiovascular, stroke, and brain health research.
“I am very fortunate and honored to receive the 2025 Distinguished Scientist award from an organization that means so much to me,” said Kelly. “The AHA was instrumental in providing grant support early in my career. This support helped launch my independent research career, and enabled me to become acquainted with peers, including new collaborators.”Unraveling the genetic roots of heart disease
Kelly’s research career began with an interest in rare genetic conditions affecting metabolism that cause cardiomyopathy and sudden death in children. This led to a career-long mission to understand the metabolic origins of heart disease. Among his notable work, Kelly identified the genetic cause of a common condition affecting how the body processes fats for energy in mitochondria, leading to the creation of practical newborn screening tests. “Our work has moved from fundamental discovery to identification of new therapies that rebalance fuel metabolism in the failing heart, one of which has moved to human trials,” said Kelly.
In addition to the 2025 Distinguished Scientist designation, he is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (Council, 2002-05), the Association of American Physicians (AAP; President, 2022) and has won many awards from the AHA including the 1995 Established Investigator Award, the 2008 Basic Cardiovascular Science Council Distinguished Achievement award, and the 2009 Basic Research Prize.
Kelly will be presented the 2025 Distinguished Scientist designation at the 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans this November.