Keith C. Ferdinand MD, FACC, FAHA, FNLA, FASH

Dr. Ferdinand is Professor of Medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine and previously Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Xavier University, New Orleans and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Ferdinand received his medical degree from the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. He is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, certified in the subspecialty of nuclear cardiology, and a specialist in clinical hypertension.

Dr. Ferdinand is a member of the Association of University Cardiologists, past Chair of the National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and prior Chief Science Officer and chair of the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC). He has also served on the board of the American Society of Hypertension, the Southwest Lipid Association, and International Society of Hypertension in Blacks. He is presently on the board of the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health, National Lipid Association, and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology.

He is presently chair of the ABC Access to Care Initiative and co-chair of the ABC CME Committee. ABC Access since 2016 is a multi-organizational working group targeting disparities in the access to evidence-based medications and devices. He also serves the AHA National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI) Advisory Group, reflecting his  unique perspective, experience, and expertise in hypertension. This group provides leadership and guidance to our national blood pressure initiative in the areas of clinical care and community health as an AHA cooperative agreement with the Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).He serves advisor to the National Association of Community Health Centers Million Hearts initiative with the CDC.

He has conducted numerous trials in hypertension lipids, cardiometabolic risk, and cardiovascular disease especially in racial/ethnic minorities, with over 300 peer-reviewed publications and lectures nationally and internationally.

 In addition to his clinical work, he has participated in numerous clinical education activities in the community, locally and nationally, regarding eliminating disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic,as the president of Healthy Heart Community Prevention Project (HHCPP) 501c3 nonprofit health organization in New Orleans.

In 2004, Dr. Ferdinand received the Louis B. Russell, Jr. Memorial Award of the American Heart Association. Other awards include the Congressional Black Caucus Health Trust for journalism, the Charles Drew award for medical excellence from the National Minority Quality Foundation, the Wenger Award for Medical Leadership  by WomenHeart and ABC Spirit of the Heart Distinguished Leadership Award and in the 2019 Xavier University Champion Award for health equity and AHA 2019 James B. Herrick Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cardiology. He received a 2021 and again in 2022 Health Care Heroes honor, for health care professionals in the New Orleans area. Dr. Ferdinand was honored as a 2023 Living Legend Honoree by the Center for African and African American Studies at Southern University at New Orleans.