June 25, 2026 – Joseph A. Hill, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Cardiology, Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Harry S. Moss Heart Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has received the Gold Heart Award, the American Heart Association’s (AHA) highest volunteer honor.
“I have always believed that when someone reaches a certain point in their career, it’s important to give back,” Dr. Hill said. “It’s been incredibly gratifying to have been able to serve the cardiovascular medicine and research community in multiple volunteer roles.”
The Gold Heart Award recognizes Dr. Hill’s volunteer leadership roles within the AHA, particularly as editor-in-chief of Circulation, its flagship journal – a position he will leave June 30 after a decade of service. The award was announced June 23 at the AHA’s National Volunteer Awards ceremony in Irving, Texas.
Roles Outside the AHA
he Gold Heart Award also recognizes Dr. Hill’s numerous volunteer roles outside the AHA, including stints as president of the Association of University Cardiologists and chair of the Academic Council of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Hill is also a dedicated mentor both in the clinic and the lab and a three-time recipient of UT Southwestern’s Outstanding Teacher Award.
After earning medical and doctoral degrees at Duke University, Dr. Hill completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, followed by internal medicine residency training and a clinical cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2002 to become Chief of the Division of Cardiology, a position he held for 21 years before stepping down in 2023.
Dr. Hill’s many honors include the 2025 Gill Heart and Vascular Institute Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cardiovascular Research, the 2023 Medal of Merit from the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences, the 2019 Louis and Artur Lucian Award from McGill University, and the 2018 Research Achievement Award from the International Society for Heart Research.
Dr. Hill holds the Frank M. Ryburn, Jr. Chair in Heart Research and the James T. Willerson, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Diseases. Dr. de Lemos holds the Sweetheart Ball - Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D. Distinguished Chair in Cardiology.
