Obituary: Eugene Braunwald

Long-time Weston resident Dr. Eugene Braunwald passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on April 22, 2026, at age 96. He was born in Vienna on August 15, 1929; his family fled the Nazis after the annexation of Austria, eventually resettling in New York City.

A world-renowned cardiologist, he made monumental contributions to his field which have impacted countless lives. He served as chief of cardiology and as clinical director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and founding chair of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. As Harvard’s Hersey Professor of Medicine, he chaired the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital for 24 years, also serving as chair at the Beth Israel Hospital for nine of those years. He was a founding trustee and chief academic officer of Partners HealthCare System, the predecessor to Mass General Brigham.

He founded the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group in 1984, designing and leading clinical trials that would change global standards of care in many areas, including confirming the benefits of intensive LDL-cholesterol lowering through statins.

Dr. Braunwald was the founding editor of “Braunwald’s Heart Disease,” the premier cardiology textbook in the world, and he served as an editor for over 38 years of “Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine,” still the authoritative reference for medical students and physicians worldwide. He also leaves an enduring imprint on the field through the generations of leaders he has mentored throughout their careers.

Dr. Braunwald was known for his love of classical music and opera, even serving as an extra as a spear-carrier at the Metropolitan Opera in New York during college, and he was a keen teller of jokes. He was married to Nina Starr, a pioneering thoracic surgeon, from 1952 until her death in 1992. He is survived by Elaine Smith, his wife of 32 years and former chief operating officer of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, his daughters Karen Braunwald (Peter Erines), Allison Goldfine (Harvey Goldfine) and Jill Braunwald Porter, as well as seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.