Jean Wactawski-Wende, dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, has received the inaugural Go Red for Women Community Leadership Award from the American Heart Association (AHA). Go Red for Women celebrated its 21st anniversary this year, pushing forward its mission of improving women’s cardiovascular health at every age, stage and season of life.

Wactawski-Wende was recognized for her commitment to advancing women’s health through the groundbreaking Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) at UB. In accepting the award at the recent Buffalo Go Red for Women luncheon, she highlighted the research and advancements to the WHI made possible by AHA research grants, which are supported by donations from Western New York.

The WHI is the long-term, groundbreaking national health study that has yielded major discoveries on chronic diseases that affect postmenopausal women, including heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporotic fractures. UB is one of the original 16 “vanguard clinical centers” selected to participate in the initiative. The mission of the WHI aligns closely with that of Go Red for Women, with its focus on representing women in cardiovascular research, especially postmenopausal women who are often underrepresented in the research world.

According to the AHA, Wactawski-Wende’s “dedication to the Women’s Health Initiative and collaboration with the American Heart Association made her a highly deserving recipient of this award.”