Allan Jaffe, M.D., receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Professor of medicine and laboratory medicine and pathology
Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Research
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota: Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Research, 2022–present; professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, 2013–present; professor of medicine, 1999–present; consultant, Division of Ischemic Heart Disease and Critical Care, 1999–present; joint appointment, Division of Clinical Core Laboratory Services, 1999–present; chair, Division of Clinical Core Laboratory Services, 2008–2019
Fellowship: Clinical cardiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Residency: Chief resident, medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
Internship: Medicine, Barnes Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine
Medical school: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
GROUNDBREAKING HEART DISEASE BIOMARKER RESEARCHER
As a professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, Allan Jaffe, M.D. (CV ’99), helped develop and validate the first cardiac troponin I assay.
Today, troponin testing is the blood test of choice for the diagnosis of heart attacks, and Dr. Jaffe is a top authority and researcher of myocardial disease biomarkers.
Dr. Jaffe is a consultant in the Division of Ischemic Heart Disease and Critical Care with a joint appointment in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is also the Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Research and a professor of medicine and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. His appointments reflect his ability to productively bridge the laboratory and clinical cardiology communities.
Dr. Jaffe’s work has defined the interpretation of biomarkers across a wide spectrum of clinical scenarios, with an emphasis on acute ischemic heart disease. Dr. Jaffe is a leading voice in the multiple professional societies that determine how myocardial injury is defined. He was the lead physician on the biomarker committee for the four iterations of the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction sponsored by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology. At Mayo Clinic, he has led the adoption of high-sensitivity troponin assays by coordinating a comprehensive cardiac biomarker education program for physicians, nurses and clinicians. He continues to research novel biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Jaffe is a highly esteemed national and international presenter who has co-authored five books and written more than 1,000 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and abstracts. His writings focus on the use of cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptides to characterize patients with both acute and chronic heart disease.
His leadership positions at Mayo Clinic have included tenure as the medical director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Laboratory and chair of the Division of Clinical Core Laboratory Services. Dr. Jaffe has received many awards and honors, including the Citation of International Service from the American Heart Association, the Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology, and awards for lifetime contributions from the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
The Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1981 by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees to acknowledge and show appreciation for the exceptional contributions of Mayo alumni to the field of medicine, including medical practice, research, education, and administration. Individuals receiving this award are recognized nationally — and often internationally — in their fields. Read about the other 2025 recipients here.