DALLAS, Feb. 10, 2026 — Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defect in the U.S., affecting nearly 1% of births.[1] To help health care professionals better understand how to prevent, diagnose and treat CHDs, the American Heart Association and The Children's Heart Foundation will again fund five promising scientific researchers through the joint Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards program.
To date, the American Heart Association, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on changing the future of health for all and the largest nongovernment funder of cardiovascular research, along with The Children's Heart Foundation, dedicated to funding the most promising congenital heart defect research, have pledged more than $10 million across 10 years of the specific joint CHD scientific research funding collaboration.
Because of advancements made through research, death rates from congenital heart disease in the U.S. have declined by 37.5% since 1999.[2] Despite major advances in care, complex congenital heart defects remain associated with significant risk, and some forms still carry increased mortality during the first year of life.[3]
Receiving the latest in new grant funding, combining for more than $640,000, are:
Jennifer Schumacher, Ph.D. at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for Mechanisms of retinoic acid signaling in aorta development
Naoki Konno, Ph.D. at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California for Deciphering congenital heart defects through single-cell evolution and in silico perturbation
Hao Wang, Ph.D. at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida for the Role of CDK13 in Cardiac Remodeling
Rachel Szymanski at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina for Function of CRL4 in cardiac development
Lucas Voce at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota for Design and Development of a Growing Transcatheter Pulmonary Stent Valve for Pediatrics
"Congenital heart defects are the nation's most common birth defect, affecting approximately 40,000 babies every year. That's why sustained investment in rigorous science matters: it turns uncertainty into answers and gives clinicians and families the tools they need to help CHD patients live longer, healthier lives," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women's Health and senior vice president of women's health at Northwell Health in New York City.
"We're proud to continue funding innovative CHD research alongside the American Heart Association," said Terry Morrow, president and CEO of The Children's Heart Foundation. "By combining our expertise and shared commitment, we're accelerating discoveries that improve care, save lives and bring hope to families affected by CHDs."
Researchers studying the prevention and treatment of congenital heart defects are encouraged to submit applications for funding from the American Heart Association and The Children's Heart Foundation. For submission guidelines and upcoming deadlines specific to the Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards, visit professional.heart.org/CHDResearchAwards.
New ACHD Guideline
Advances in surgical treatments over the last few decades have contributed to over 90% of babies born with heart defects in the United States now surviving well into adulthood. This has led to a rapidly growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) who remain at increased risk of cardiac complications as they age, despite early interventions.
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), along with several other leading medical associations, issued a new guideline[4] in December 2025 for managing congenital heart disease in adults. The new guideline includes additions related to the role of clinicians with specialized expertise in guiding the care of adults with congenital heart disease; updates regarding mental health, physical activity, pregnancy and heart failure; and new recommendations about specific types of heart defects and treatment approaches.
