Goals

The goals of the CVD research program are to discover new ways of controlling and preventing the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to determine what factors may contribute to and prevent disparities in the development, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients with CVD. Current research programs include CVD/risk factor epidemiology and prevention, genetics and genomics of CVD, and weight-loss interventions to prevent CVD, among others. Research ranges from longitudinal observational studies to randomized controlled trials. 

Current Projects

Current research projects include cardiovascular disease longitudinal observational studies, including the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, and several REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) ancillary studies. DOPM investigators also have a strong program of interventional research in cardiometabolic disease, serving as a site in several large multi-center CVD intervention studies including the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), and others. Many studies focus on the elimination of disparities in healthcare and health outcomes, especially in African Americans and Hispanics.

An area of expertise within this research program is Genetics and Genomics of Cardiovascular Disease. Current project areas include genotyping by array and next generation sequencing, exome sequencing, methylation studies, metabolomics, and microbiomics.