The Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award "recognizes the team of authors with the highest-ranked scientific abstract from every participating country for each AHA scientific meeting", according to the award website. At its Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2025 conference in July, 2025, the association gave the award for best abstract from India to work describing "Sanal flow choking" theory, which is named after lead author, V. R. Sanal Kumar, a professor of aerospace engineering at Amity University in New Delhi. As was have previously reported, some scientists have denounced the concept as "absolute nonsense" and "inaccurate and paradoxical" — and earlier this year, a journal said it "fundamentally violates" a law of thermodynamics.

Following the conference, Kumar sent emails to at least three journals — Scientific Reports, AIP Advances, and Global Challenges — requesting the reversal of his retractions, citing the AHA award. "The importance of the Sanal flow choking concept has been further validated", Kumar wrote in the email to editors at Scientific Reports, which retracted one of his papers in 2023. "The American Heart Association recognized this work by conferring the 2025 Paul Dudley International Scholar Award."

Suzanne Grant, vice president of media relations for the AHA, told us the award "was based on abstract scores only". She also told us "immediately" after the meeting in July, the AHA "learned of the retraction history" of Kumar. The organization was scheduled to review the award decision.

Source https://retractionwatch.com/2025/10/22/exclusive-american-heart-association-reviewing-award-to-rocket-scientist-with-eight-retractions/

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