Barbara Riegel, Ph.D., R.N., FAHA, Emerita Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor of Gerontology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will receive the American Heart Association's 2025 Clinical Research Prize at the Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans. The award recognizes her decades of research focused on self-care by individuals with chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, which she defines broadly to include treatment adherence, condition monitoring and self-management of symptoms.
Dr. Riegel developed the internationally recognized Self-Care of Heart Failure Index, the premier evaluation tool to comprehensively measure self-care in patients with heart failure. Through rigorous psychometric testing and continuous refinement, the index has become the global standard for measuring self-care in heart failure, widely used in research, education and interdisciplinary clinical practice and has been cited in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications. Her work has helped bridge the gap between patient experiences and clinical care by developing standard ways to track and measure the burden of self-care for chronic health conditions.
"Dr. Riegel is a driving force in redefining chronic disease care through self-care science," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, the American Heart Association's 2025-2026 volunteer president. "Her pioneering research and unwavering commitment is shaping care models worldwide and improving the lives of patients and caregivers alike." Dr. Riegel's most recent research focuses on innovative strategies to support caregivers, including the development of virtual health coaching interventions aimed at promoting caregiver self-care.
In addition to her role at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Riegel is a senior research scientist at the Center for Home Care Policy & Research at VNS Health and co-director of the International Center for Self-Care Research affiliated with Linkoping University in Sweden. Her distinguished research has been recognized with numerous awards from the Heart Association's Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, including the Heart Failure Research Prize in 1998, the Katherine A. Lembright Award for lifetime achievement in cardiovascular research in 2005, and in 2009, she was named as one of the "Top 10 Cardiovascular Scientists," a distinction awarded only once in the Council's history.
Additional honors include the Distinguished Research Lectureship from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award from the University of Pennsylvania and the inaugural Nursing Research Award from the Heart Failure Society of America. In 2022, Dr. Riegel was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Medicine from Linkoping University in Sweden in recognition of her pioneering work in self-care. She has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and 36 book chapters throughout her career.
"I'm deeply honored to receive this award from the American Heart Association," said Dr. Riegel. "I have spent my career focused on research aiming to make a true impact on those living with heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Focusing on self-care for patients and their caregivers has been my priority for many years." The award will be presented during the Presidential Session on November 9, 2025, at the Scientific Sessions meeting, which serves as a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements in cardiovascular science. More information about the association's work can be found at heart.org.
