Honorary Fellow of the ASPC Award
History of the Fellow Award:
The American Society for Preventive Cardiology is committed to advancing comprehensive cardiovascular disease prevention and honors those who share in this commitment. Each year, we will identify one individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the field of preventive cardiology through groundbreaking research, exemplary clinical care, and/or excellence in education. The ASPC recognizes this individual for his/her extensive contributions with the designation honorary Fellow of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (FASPC). We will bestow an honorary FASPC on a select few practitioners who are deemed by the Board of Directors of ASPC to distinguish themselves in all aspects of Preventive Cardiology. This award is presented at the ASPC Congress on CVD Prevention that occurs every July.
2026 Honorary Fellow of ASPC Award Recipient
Katherine Wilemon
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Family Heart Foundation
Katherine Wilemon is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Family Heart Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing cardiovascular disease through the early identification and treatment of inherited lipid disorders, including familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), homozygous FH, and elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)].
Founded in 2012, the Family Heart Foundation has become an internationally recognized leader in research, advocacy, and patient-centered innovation. Under Katherine's leadership, the organization has published more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, established the nation's only FH patient registry (CASCADE FH®), developed the FIND FH® and FIND Lp(a)® machine-learning initiatives, and created the Family Heart Database®, one of the largest real-world cardiovascular data resources. She also founded the Family Heart Global Summit®, a premier forum that brings together scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and patients to advance cardiovascular prevention.
Through initiatives such as Cholesterol Connect®, a national at-home screening program, and the Foundation's Care Navigation Center, the organization has helped tens of thousands of individuals understand their inherited cardiovascular risk and access appropriate care.
Katherine's work is driven by her own experience living with FH and elevated Lp(a). After suffering a heart attack at age 39, she recognized the urgent need for earlier diagnosis, greater awareness, and improved access to care. Today, she continues to lead the Foundation's mission to save more families and more hearts by advancing research, empowering patients and clinicians, and improving cardiovascular disease prevention worldwide.
Previous Winners of the Honorary Fellow of the ASPC Award
2025 Helen Hobbs, MD
2024 Christopher P. Cannon, MD
2023 Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM
2022 Pam S. Douglas, MD, MACC, FASE, FAHA
2021 Clyde Yancy, MD, MSc, FASPC
2020 Nanette K. Wenger, MD, MACC, MACP, FAHA, FASPC
2019 Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD