Biography
Dr. Lori Mosca is Professor of Medicine Emerita and Executive Director of the American Heart Association (AHA) Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network Center at Columbia University Medical Center. She was the founding Director of the Preventive Cardiology Program at New-York Presbyterian Hospital and the Columbia Center for Heart Disease Prevention in Midtown Manhattan. Dr. Mosca has been listed among America’s and New York’s Top Doctors multiple years, and in 2015 was named the AHA Physician of the Year for her pioneering efforts to establish the Go Red for Women movement. In 2018 she received the Mentoring Award from the AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and was also honored as Mentor of the Year 2018 at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Mosca is a consultant to several industries, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations.
Dr. Mosca’s research has focused on risk factors and heart disease prevention. She and her team were awarded a $3.7 million AHA grant to establish a center at Columbia to study sleep, lifestyle habits, and heart disease risk in women at various life stages. She was the Principal Investigator of several National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded studies related to family-centered approaches to prevent heart disease. She designed and was on the Executive Committee of several international landmark studies of cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr. Mosca was the recipient of an AHA Scientist Development Award, and held NIH Research Career Awards for 15 consecutive years. She was a standing member of the NIH Clinical Trials Study Section, led several strategic research planning initiatives for the NIH and AHA, and served on the Institute of Medicine Expert Panel on Women’s Health Research. Her research contributions were recognized by the American Medical Women’s Association with the 2007 Women in Science Award.
Dr. Mosca is Past Chair of the AHA Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, Past President of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, is a past board member of the National AHA, and served on many national guideline committees. She spearheaded and chaired the landmark 1999, 2004, and 2011 AHA Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. In 2004, she was the inaugural recipient of the Women’s Day Red Dress Award and was named the Outstanding Young Alumna at Upstate Medical University. In 2011, she was honored with the National AHA Meritorious Achievement Award and the WomenHeart Wenger Award for Excellence in Medical Leadership.
Dr. Mosca has been a frequent guest on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News, and CBS News, and hosted her own PBS special program. She has written commentaries for leading journals including The New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet and authored more than 200 original scientific publications. Many of the students, trainees, and faculty she has mentored have gone on to win investigator awards, and gained prestigious academic positions. Dr. Mosca is married to a congenital cardiac surgeon and has 2 sons in medical fields and science. She enjoys training in multiple sports, and has completed over 100 triathlons, including the Hawaii Ironman.