Heritage Highlights
*Photo of Nanette Kass Wenger courtesy of the National Library of Medicine
Dr. Nanette Kass Wenger, a prominent cardiologist, has gained worldwide recognition for her groundbreaking research in coronary heart disease among women. Her work has focused on analyzing the differences in risk factors and symptoms between women and men. During the early stages of research, heart disease was believed to primarily affect men.
Wenger, born in 1930, was one of just 10 women in the 1954 graduating class of Harvard University Medical School, which had a total of 120 students. She began her postgraduate work at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and later became a senior resident in medicine at Emory University in Atlanta in 1958.
Dr. Wenger has authored and co-authored over 1,000 scientific articles and book chapters. She has also served on the editorial boards of over a dozen national and international medical journals. Dr. Wenger holds the title of Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) Emeritus at Emory University School of Medicine, where she also serves as a consultant for the Emory Heart and Vascular Center.
Dr. Wenger has chaired the Expert Committee on Rehabilitation after Cardiovascular Disease for the World Health Organization, co-chaired the Society of Geriatric Cardiology Task Forces on Heart Failure Education and Cardiac Rehabilitation Education, and has been a member of the WHO expert advisory panel on cardiovascular disease since 1989. She has received numerous awards and honors, including being cited as one of Time magazine's "Women of the Year" in 1976 and being named the American Heart Association's Physician of the Year in 1998.
Locally, Dr. Wenger has served as the president of Atlanta Hadassah, the Atlanta Bureau of Jewish Education, and the Jewish Children's Service. She has also received the Hadassah's Myrtle Wreath Award and has been selected as one of the ten "Leading Ladies of Atlanta." Dr. Wenger's distinguished contributions in preventative medicine were recognized with the James D. Bruce Memorial Award of the American College of Physicians in 2000.
Source: National Library of Medicine
About Heritage Highlights:
“Heritage Highlights” is a series of e-blasts, news articles, and social media posts that highlight heritage months and events reflective of the AIMS Education campus, surrounding community, country, and world! They will provide a greater awareness of the origin/significance of many cultural events and celebrations as well as highlight group contributions to the field of healthcare!
