Dr. Nanette Wenger to Receive the Alma Dea Morani Award

The Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation honors cardiovascular champion

Nanette Wenger, MD, MACC, MACP, FAHA, a pioneer and visionary in the field of cardiology, is the 2023 recipient of the Alma Dea Morani, MD Renaissance Woman award, the highest honor bestowed by the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation.

Dr. Wenger is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine. She is also a Consultant to the Emory Heart and Vascular Center, and a Founding Consultant at the Emory Women’s Heart Center.

Dr. Wenger will be introduced by the 2008 Alma Dea Morani Renaissance Woman Award recipient, Dr. Ellen R. Gritz.

Coronary heart disease in women is one of Dr. Wenger’s major clinical and research interests, and she has expertise in cardiac rehabilitation. In addition to having chaired the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Conference on Cardiovascular Health and Disease in Women, she has also chaired the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Rehabilitation after Cardiovascular Disease, and co-chaired the Guideline Panel on Cardiac Rehabilitation for the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. 

“Dr. Wenger’s work is important not only for its impact on medicine at large, but specifically for its impact on women,” said Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP, president of the Foundation. “We couldn’t be more excited to recognize her with this award.”

Dr. Wenger has a longstanding interest in geriatric cardiology, formerly serving as President of the Society of Geriatric Cardiology, as well as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology for over 15 years.

She has received a multitude of accolades and awards throughout her career, including: the American College of Cardiology Lifetime Achievement Award (2022); Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Heart Federation (2022); and the Gold Heart Award, the highest award of the American Heart Association (2004). 

Dr. Wenger has authored or co-authored over 1700 scientific and review articles and book chapters and continues to serve on the editorial boards of numerous professional journals. She is a sought after lecturer for issues related to heart disease in women, heart disease in the elderly, cardiac rehabilitation, coronary prevention, and contemporary cardiac care. 

The Foundation will present the award to Dr. Wenger this fall at a virtual event hosted by the New York Academy of Medicine on Thursday, October 26 at 4:00 PM ET. 

About the Alma Dea Morani, MD Renaissance Woman Award 

Each year, the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation awards one woman with the Alma Dea Morani, MD Renaissance Woman Award. It is the highest honor bestowed by the Foundation and is given to women who have furthered the practice and understanding of medicine in our lifetime and made significant contributions outside of medicine.

We hope you can join the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation and the New York Academy of Medicine in celebrating Dr. Wenger and all of her achievements on Thursday, October 26 at 4:00 PM ET.