2026 Heart to Heart Grant Finalists Announced
Alpha Phi Foundation recognizes seven finalists for the 2026 Heart to Heart Grant. This year we received a record breaking 87 applications for our 33rd year of the Heart to Heart Grant. Our finalists represent the institutions who most closely aligned with the Alpha Phi Foundation’s mission, and we are blown away by all the important work they are doing in women’s cardiac research. A special thank you to our volunteer Medical Readers and Heart to Heart Grant Advisory Council for all your time and guidance. Our top seven finalists are from the following institutions: Brigham and Women’s Hospital – AI Driven Mammographic Screening for Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Women Mission: Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is dedicated to advancing human health through excellence in patient care, biomedical research, medical education, and community service. With a mission to deliver compassionate, world-class care to every patient; pioneer transformative discoveries that improve health outcomes globally; train the next generation of healthcare leaders; and address health disparities in underserved populations, BWH integrates cutting-edge science with clinical innovation across more than 150 specialty areas. Annually serving over 1.5 million patient visits and conducting nearly $1 billion in sponsored research, the institution remains committed to its founding vision of providing high-quality, accessible care while pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge to benefit patients today and for generations to come. Website: https://www.brighamandwomens.org/ Luke’s House: A Clinic for Healing and Hope- Expanding Early Detection and Health Education for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Among Underserved Women in Greater New Orleans Mission: Luke’s House Clinic is a free, bilingual, volunteer-run teaching clinic that provides compassionate, culturally responsive healthcare to uninsured and underserved families in New Orleans. We are committed to removing barriers to care, offering all services at no cost and never requiring ID or insurance. Our mission is to be a place of medical hope, health, and healing, to provide patient-centered educational experiences for students, and to open a doorway to long-term healthcare solutions. Website: https://www.lukeshouseclinic.org/ Massachusetts General Hospital – Menopause Related Hot Flashes and Cardiovascular Health: The Role of Endothelial Inflammation Mission: Mass General Brigham (MGB), formerly known as Partners Healthcare, is an integrated health system composed of 14 hospital systems and their affiliated clinics and practices caring for 1.5 million patients annually. MGB’s mission is to enhance patient care, advance medical research, and educate the next generation of healthcare professionals, all while serving and improving the health of the communities they serve. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is one of the two major academic medical centers, along with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), anchoring MGB. MGH and BWH both represent teaching hospitals for Harvard Medical School in Boston. BWH is located adjacent to Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), less than 4 miles from MGH. Frequent shuttles provide transportation between MGH and BWH. The two hospitals share a common medical record and computing system (EPIC) as well as a common IRB, facilitating collaboration. MGH is a not-for-profit medical center. Its mission is to deliver the best healthcare in a safe compassionate environment, to advance that care through innovative research and education; and to improve the health and well-being of the communities served by the MGH. Founded in 1811, MGH is the third oldest general hospital in the United States and the oldest and largest hospital in New England. MGH employs over 10,000 individuals in both professional and other support positions, and it has a long and rich tradition of excellence in clinical research. Website: http://www.massgeneral.org/ University of Alabama at Birmingham – Postpartum Heart: Alabama Womb2 Heart Solution- A Randomized Controlled Trial Mission: UAB enriches society and improves health and well-being through transformational educational experiences, groundbreaking research, innovation and entrepreneurship, community engagement, and world-class patient care while serving our UAB, local and global communities. Website: http://www.uab.edu University of Delaware – Time Restricted Eating Among Emerging Adult Women: A Single- Armed Mechanistic Clinical Trial Mission: The University of Delaware exists to cultivate learning, develop knowledge, and foster the free exchange of ideas. State-assisted yet privately governed, the University has a strong tradition of distinguished scholarship, which is manifested in its research and creative activities, teaching, and service, in line with its commitment to increasing and disseminating scientific, humanistic, artistic, and social knowledge for the benefit of the larger society. Founded in 1743 and chartered by the state in 1833, the University of Delaware today is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant university. The University of Delaware is a major research university with extensive graduate programs that is also dedicated to outstanding undergraduate and professional education. UD faculty are committed to the intellectual, cultural, and ethical development of students as citizens, scholars and professionals. UD graduates are prepared to contribute to a global and diverse society that requires leaders with creativity, integrity and a dedication to service. The University of Delaware promotes an environment in which all people are inspired to learn, and encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry, and respect for the views and values of an increasingly diverse population. An institution engaged in addressing the critical needs of the state, nation, and global community, the University of Delaware carries out its mission with the support of alumni who span the globe and in partnership with public, private, and nonprofit institutions in Delaware and beyond. Within the University, Drs. Pacanowski, Greaney, and Earthman are faculty in the College of Health Sciences. The mission of the College of Health Sciences is to impact and improve the lives of others by educating students in health and healthcare, advancing the science of health, and providing life-enhancing service to the community. We aspire to be a national model of excellence for exceptional educational programs, interdisciplinary research, community service, and professional development in health-related career paths. Website: https://www.udel.edu/ University of Florida Foundation – Prime of Your Life (POYL): A Sustainable Community Model for Women’s Heart Health Education Mission: The mission of the University of Florida Foundation is to promote the University, increase philanthropy, manage and grow the endowment, ensure the appropriate use of funds and pursue best governance practices. The College of Medicine’s mission is to increase Florida’s supply of highly qualified physicians, provide advanced health care services to the residents of Florida and foster discovery in health research. The Jacksonville campus is home to more than 450 physicians …
