Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones is a distinguished cardiovascular epidemiologist whose pioneering work has transformed the understanding of cardiovascular disease across the human lifespan. He served as Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine from 2009 until 2023, following his recruitment to the institution in 2004 from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Lloyd-Jones earned his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His career began with residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital where he served as chief medical resident from 1995 to 1996, followed by a cardiology fellowship and early research career at the Framingham Heart Study from 1997 to 2004. During his tenure at Northwestern, he also held leadership positions including senior associate dean for clinical and translational research and director of the NUCATS Institute from 2012 to 2020.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones' groundbreaking research has fundamentally reshaped how clinicians and researchers understand cardiovascular disease risk throughout the lifespan, with his seminal work establishing that approximately one in two men and one in three women will develop cardiovascular disease during their lifetime. His contributions to the Framingham Heart Study have provided critical insights into the epidemiology of hypertension, the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis, and the impact of modifiable risk factors on cardiovascular outcomes across the life course. A prolific researcher, he has authored more than 780 peer-reviewed scientific publications and is consistently ranked among the top one percent of highly cited researchers globally. His development of refined cardiovascular risk estimation models incorporating novel biomarkers and imaging techniques has directly informed national clinical practice guidelines from major medical organizations, moving the field beyond traditional short-term risk assessment to embrace comprehensive understanding of cardiovascular health trajectories.
As a national leader, Dr. Lloyd-Jones served as president of the American Heart Association during 2021-2022, where he championed initiatives to improve cardiovascular health equity and expand the organization's focus on life course approaches to prevention. He has played a pivotal role in developing and disseminating the American Heart Association's metrics that define ideal cardiovascular health, translating complex epidemiological findings into practical tools for clinicians and the public. Recently appointed as chief of preventive medicine at Boston University's Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and principal investigator of the Framingham Heart Study effective January 1, 2025, he continues to advance population-based approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr. Lloyd-Jones remains dedicated to mentoring the next generation of preventive medicine specialists, with his research group training numerous fellows who have established independent research programs across the country. His ongoing work focuses on refining cardiovascular risk prediction models and understanding mechanisms that drive disparities in cardiovascular health outcomes across diverse populations.
