Meet Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM

Harlan Krumholz is a cardiologist, researcher, and lifelong mentor who believes deeply in using insights to help people thrive. He brings together science and empathy, tirelessly working to improve healthcare fairness, transparency, and quality—especially through teaching and guiding the next generation of caregivers and scientists.

As the Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine at Yale, he founded and leads the Yale–New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE)—a place where data meets care. For over two decades, he also directed Yale’s Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, shaping emerging physician-leaders through hands-on learning, policy immersion, and community engagement.

Professional Highlights

    • Door‑to‑Balloon (D2B) – Spearheaded a nationwide initiative that cut treatment delays for heart attack patients from 96 to 64 minutes, dramatically improving survival—especially for older adults, women, and Black patients.

    • Yale Open Data Access (YODA) Project – Co-created a trusted platform for sharing clinical trial data, offering independent researchers transparent access while safeguarding patient privacy.

    • medRxiv– Launched a medical preprint server to speed up research sharing—critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping clinicians and scientists stay informed in real time.

    • VIRGO Study – Led an NIH-funded study focused on gender differences in recovery from heart attacks among young patients. Revealed critical care disparities and shaped new pathways for improving outcomes.

    • Founding Editor, Circulation: Quality and Outcomes

    • Pioneer in Quality Measurement

    • Architect of US public reporting of hospital outcomes

    • Leader in the international development of outcomes research

    • Founding Governor of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

    • Led an influential report that produced major changes in physician certification in the US

    • Innovator in patient-centric data exchange

    • Serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Hugo Health, Refactor Health, Ensight-AI

  • Dr.Krumholz graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Yale College in 1980. He earned his medical degree from Harvard University in 1985. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he was Chief Resident in 1989. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

    Dr. Krumholz has trained and mentored countless clinical scientists and healthcare leaders. As RWJF Clinical Scholars director from 1996 to 2017, he shifted the curriculum toward community collaboration, policy impact, and real-world change. His mentees now shape healthcare in academia, government, nonprofits, and beyond.

    • Recipient of multiple American Heart Association honors, including Distinguished Scientist, Outstanding Achievement, and Clinical Research Prize .

    • Awarded the Friendship Award by the People’s Republic of China (2014) in recognition of his collaboration in developing cardiovascular research platforms there.

    • Named a 2024 Best Scientist and Medicine Leader by Research.com

    • Listed in Clarivate as a highly cited researcher in their field Clarivate.com

    • Research.com Recognitions

      2025 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award

      2024 - Research.com Best Scientist Award

      2024 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award

      2023 - Research.com Best Scientist Award

      2023 - Research.com Medicine in United States Leader Award

      2022 - Research.com Best Scientist Award

      2010 - Distinguished Scientist Award, American Heart Association

      2007 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

      Member of the Association of American Physicians

    • With 1,500+ peer-reviewed publications, an H-index above 240, and 300,000+ citations, his work is widely recognized for influencing policy, practice, and measurement science.

    • Became a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2007

    • Recipient of multiple AHA Distinguished Scientist Awards,

    • Co-founder or editor of key platforms like Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, JACC,and medRxiv.

    • Member, Association of American Physicians

    • Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation