The American Academy of Pediatrics and The Children’s Heart Foundation have announced the recipient of the 2026 Pediatric Cardiology Research Fellowship Award.
Lena Dang, MD, PhD, Clinical Fellow at The Washington University in St. Louis, will receive this year’s award. The fellowship award is made possible by a $35,000 educational grant from The Children’s Heart Foundation, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to funding congenital heart defect research.
Dang’s project, "Early Detection of Interstage Deterioration in Infants with Single Ventricle Physiology Using Machine Learning-Derived Electrical Biomarkers”, seeks to explore how heart-monitoring data and machine learning can help detect early warning signs of complications in infants with single ventricle heart defects.
This research aims to improve early detection of serious complications in infants born with single ventricle heart defects, who face a particularly vulnerable period between their first and second heart surgeries. Researchers will study electrical signals captured through heart monitors and use machine learning to identify subtle changes that may signal a baby is beginning to deteriorate—potentially before traditional monitoring detects a problem.
The goal is to develop a more precise, data-driven way to identify high-risk infants earlier, allowing care teams to intervene sooner and potentially prevent life-threatening complications.
Congenital heart defects are the nation’s most common birth defect and impact at least one in 100 babies born in the United States. The Children’s Heart Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics have partnered through this award to promote understanding of cardiovascular disease in children and to support the next generation of physician-scientists advancing CHD research.
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About The Children’s Heart Foundation
The Children’s Heart Foundation is the nation’s leading organization solely dedicated to funding congenital heart defect research. In 2026, The Children’s Heart Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since 1996, CHF has invested more than $21 million in research designed to advance the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects. For more information, visit childrensheartfoundation.org and follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow on X @AmerAcadPeds.
