By DoM Communications  | Date published: November 4, 2025

Pradeep Natarajan Presents at Inaugural Ira S. Ockene, MD, Memorial Cardiovascular Medicine Lecture 

On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSc, presented at the first inaugural Ira S. Ockene, MD, Memorial Cardiovascular Medicine Lecture. Dr. Natarajan presented on the topic of polygenic risk scoring for coronary artery disease. 

Ira S. Ockene, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at UMass Chan, devoted nearly fifty years to pioneering preventive cardiology through integrative community-based trials, epidemiologic research, and implementation science. Recruited in 1975 as the founding director of UMass’s cardiac catheterization lab, he later led the Preventive Cardiology Program from 1987 until his 2023 retirement and concurrently served as Associate Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine while holding the David J. and Barbara D. Milliken Professorship. 

His NIH and CDC-funded clinical studies addressed smoking cessation, dietary modification, diabetes prevention, cholesterol management, and medication, translating genomic and lifestyle insights into scalable interventions. Dr. Ockene served as an advisor to both the Surgeon General and the Department of Justice and was deeply respected as a mentor and teacher. In 2022, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Clinical Excellence, passing on December 25, 2024.