Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility

The inaugural Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility (BLASR) will be presented by the Lown Institute in 2022 to a young leader in health care who emulates the courage and humanitarian spirit of Dr. Bernard Lown.

Dr. Bernard Lown, the founder of the Lown Institute, was one of the most distinguished physicians of the 20th century. His contributions to cardiology alone were massive and improved the lives of millions. But his influence extended far beyond the clinic. He challenged racist policies at his medical school, founded an organization to care for children injured in the Vietnam War, organized doctors in Massachusetts for universal health care, and spoke out on climate change. Most well-known is his work uniting physicians around the world against nuclear proliferation, on whose behalf he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.

“We in the health field need to be in the forefront in promoting respect for the dignity of human life.”

Dr. Bernard Lown

Dr. Lown died in February of 2021 at the age of 99. To honor his memory, and because our society needs more leaders like him, we created the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility.

Eligibility

This annual award, including a $25,000 prize, will be given to a person aged 45 or younger who, in addition to working as a clinician in the United States, stands out for their bold leadership in social justice, environmentalism, global peace, or other notable humanitarian efforts.

Be a part of this award

Will you help make this award sustainable? No matter the size of your donation, your pledge will show that you believe in the example set by Dr. Lown and the importance of lifting up the voices of outstanding clinicians following in his footsteps.

For more information, contact us at LownAward@LownInstitute.org.