News

Women As One reveals 2026 Mentorship Award Winners

By Published On: May 6, 2026
Women As One reveals 2026 Mentorship Award Winners

Women As One has announced the winners of the 2026 Mentorship Awards, recognising six exceptional women physicians who are advancing cardiovascular research through mentorship, collaboration, and leadership.

The Women As One Mentorship Awards are designed to accelerate the careers of women in cardiology by supporting impactful mentor-mentee partnerships.

Through funding, structured guidance, and access to a global professional network, the program enables participants to lead meaningful research that improves patient care and addresses critical gaps in cardiovascular medicine.

2026 Mentorship Awards and sponsors

The 2026 Women As One Mentorship Awards are supported by leading industry partners, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, BridgeBio and Daiichi Sankyo Europe, each committed to advancing cardiovascular science and improving patient outcomes.

Each selected pair collaborates on a dedicated research project over the course of a year. The 2026 awards continue to emphasise innovation and equity in cardiovascular care, supporting research that addresses unmet clinical needs and improves outcomes for diverse patient populations

Meet the winners

Mentorship Pairing #1: AI and equity in ATTR-CM

Sponsored by Alnylam

This award focuses on transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in women, supporting research on sex-specific differences, including AI models trained on female datasets and studies on how women with ATTR-CM interact with healthcare systems.

Mentee: Sarah Abou Alaiwi, MD

Yale University School of Medicine, United States of America

Mentor: Carolyn Lam, MBBS

National Heart Centre, Singapore

Mentorship Pairing #2: Women and ATTR-CM detection

Sponsored by bridgebio

Mentee: Artrish Jefferson, MD

University of Texas Southwestern, United States of America

Mentor: Sara Tabtabai, MD

Yale University School of Medicine, United States of America

Mentorship Pairing #3: Adherence to lipid‑lowering therapy in women

Sponsored by Daiichi-Sankyo

This award focuses on adherence to lipid-lowering therapy in women. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among women globally, yet treatment adherence gaps persist.

Mentee: Joanna Popiolek-Kalisz, MD, MSc, PhD, DSc

Medical University of Lublin, Poland

Mentor: Jessica Schubert, MD, PhD

Uppsala University, Sweden

These awardees were selected from an outstanding group of applicants for their commitment to advancing cardiovascular science and their potential to drive meaningful impact through mentorship and collaboration.

Supporting long-term impact for women in cardiology

Mentorship remains a key driver of career progression, particularly in cardiology, where women continue to be underrepresented. The Mentorship Awards foster strong, collaborative relationships between early-career physicians and established leaders, creating opportunities for both scientific advancement and professional growth.

By investing in women physicians, Women As One continues to address disparities in cardiology and contribute to a more inclusive and representative future for the field.

Women As One would like to congratulate the 2026 Mentorship Award winners and look forward to following and supporting their work over the coming year.

Read more about the winners at womenasone.org 

Sleep checks could unlock better menopause care, poll suggests
NIH Grant terminations disproportionately impact minority scientists, research finds