Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility

About the Bernard Lown Award

Dr. Bernard Lown

To honor Dr. Lown’s memory, and because our society needs more leaders like him, we created the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility. The BLASR is given each year to a young clinician who demonstrates bold leadership in racial equity, environmental, global peace, or other humanitarian efforts.

Dr. Bernard Lown, founder of the Lown Institute, was one of the most accomplished physicians and activists of the 20th century. Not only did he create medical innovations that saved countless lives, he repeatedly risked his career to stand up against racial injustice, nuclear war, and the industrialization of healthcare.

Today’s clinicians face challenges that seem similarly insurmountable, such as global health crises, climate emergencies, systemic racism, and growing inequality. Addressing these issues will take a new generation of clinician leaders, who aren’t afraid to go outside the healthcare system to tackle critical health problems. We need more clinicians who have the vision to see the healthcare system as it is, the courage to take a stand, and the confidence to lead the movement for radically better healthcare.

With this award we recognize and lift up these extraordinary clinicians, who are dedicating their time, skills, and energy to tackle the most important health issues of our time, in a world that desperately needs healing.

The 2024 BLASR recipient will be announced in mid-April and honored at an award dinner in June. We invite you to consider sponsoring this inspiring event:

  • Join local healthcare leaders 
  • Align with positive change in healthcare
  • Secure optional tickets to award dinner

Email lownaward@lowninstitute.org for details.

2023 Nominating Committee

*member of Selection Committee

Vikas Saini, MD

Vikas Saini*

President, Lown Institute

Patricia Gabow MD*

Patricia Gabow MD*

Chairperson, Lown Institute Board of Directors

Zachary Lown

Zachary Lown*

Lown Family Representative

Carole Allen

Carole Allen

Intermediate Past President, Massachusetts Medical Society

David Bor

David Bor

Board Member, Lown Institute

Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter

Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility

Michael Christ

Michael Christ

Executive Director, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Harry Hayman

Harry Hayman

Trustee, Hayman Family Foundation

Yolanda Lawson, MD, FACOG

Yolanda Lawson, MD, FACOG

Chair, Board of Trustees, National Medical Association

Aletha Maybank

Aletha Maybank

Chief Equity Officer, American Medical Association

Cassandra McCullough

Cassandra McCullough

Chief Executive Officer, Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.

Susan Rogers

Susan Rogers

President, Physicians for a National Health Program

Rohini Siva

Rohini Siva

President-elect, American Medical Student Association (starting June 2023)

Michael Walls

Michael Walls

President, American Medical Students Association

Richard Allen Williams

Richard Allen Williams

President, Minority Health Institute

Donate to support this award

Donate to lift up the voices of the next generation of bold healthcare leaders. In a world that desperately needs healing, these are the leaders we all want and need.

The Lown Institute is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 04-3291770. For more information, contact us at LownAward@LownInstitute.org.

Dr. Altaf Saadi, 2023 Bernard Lown Award Winner

Dr. Altaf Saadi has been named the winner of the 2023 Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility for her outstanding work as a health justice advocate for immigrants  and others impacted by trauma. Dr. Saadi is a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, and associate director of the MGH Asylum Clinic.

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, 2022 Bernard Lown Award Winner

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the Michigan pediatrician who helped expose the Flint water crisis, has been named the first winner of the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility! (Press release | Watch recording)