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President, American Heart Association
Professor of Neurology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Attending Neurologist on the Stroke Service at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Mitchell Elkind, President of the American Heart Association, is a tenured Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at Columbia University, and Chief of the Division of Neurology Clinical Outcomes Research and Population Sciences (Neuro CORPS) in the Neurology Department.
Dr. Elkind received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and trained in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston, MA. He completed a fellowship in Vascular Neurology and Neuroepidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Ralph Sacco. Dr. Elkind holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Dr Elkind’s research focuses on stroke prevention, inflammatory and infectious biomarkers in stroke risk prediction, atrial cardiopathy, immune therapy for acute stroke, and vascular causes of cognitive aging. Dr. Elkind is the Principal Investigator of several independent investigator awards from NIH/NINDS, including the ARCADIA trial of apixaban vs aspirin for atrial cardiopathy in cryptogenic stroke; the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS), an epidemiological study of stroke risk factors; the Neuroprotection with Statin Therapy for Acute Recovery Trial (NeuSTART), a clinical trial evaluating short-term high-dose statin therapy in acute stroke; and the Levels of Inflammatory Markers in Treatment of Stroke (LIMITS) study.
Dr. Elkind also has a longstanding commitment to medical education and research training. In addition to leading the Columbia Neurology residency and fellowship programs, he serves as editor of the AHA/ASA Stroke journal’s new International Stroke Early Career and Training Section (InterSECT). He runs NIH-funded research training programs for residents and fellows. Dr. Elkind has served on several AHA/ASA committees, including 3 terms on the National Board of Directors (2014-2020), 2 terms as Chair of the ASA Advisory Committee (2016-2020), and co-chair or member of several writing committees for guidelines and scientific statements. He co-chaired the writing committee for the 2012 scientific statement on the inclusion of stroke as an outcome and risk equivalent in vascular disease risk scores, and currently serves as co-chair of the stroke section of the annual statistical update.
Dr. Elkind lives in New York City with his wife (novelist and children’s book author Rachel Vail) 2 sons (Zachary and Liam), and a pet tortoise (Lightning).
Rapper and Songwriter
Cheryl and fellow New Yorker Sandra “Pepa” Denton met during college and quickly became friends, bonding over their passion for medicine and rapping. The two nursing students recorded their first song “Show Stoppa” as a favor for a friend who needed help on a school project, and the single hit number 46 on the Billboard R&B chart. After signing with an independent label in 1985, they took the male-dominated rap industry by storm and pushed the boundaries in hip-hop. Their influence was felt all over the world and people from all walks of life were playing their song “Push It” everywhere, from aerobics classes to the clubs.
Cheryl uses her legacy to shed light on health issues, such as AIDS with Salt-N-Pepa’s hit song “Let’s Talk About Sex,” and more recently, by leading a campaign about stroke with the American Heart Association.
In selecting honorees each year, we seek to celebrate the achievements of exceptional individuals who embody our values of health, respect, and care for all. This year, we are ecstatic to honor Cheryl “Salt” James for her genuine commitment to elevating the health of young people and their families. As part of this celebration, we will launch “Let’s Talk About Salt,” a collaborative project with Hip Hop Public Health, the American Heart Association, and Cheryl to generate awareness about salt consumption and educate youth and families about the dangers of hypertension and high blood pressure.