Research areas
Biologic sex differences in cardiovascular disease
A central focus of our lab is to identify and characterize sex differences in cardiovascular disease susceptibility, pathogenesis, and response to therapy. Our work has identified unique risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease susceptibility in women. For example, we identified a novel link between infertility and heart failure in women. We have also shown that women with heart failure have significantly worse exercise reserve than men with the same condition.
Mechanisms of menopause-related cardiovascular disease
Heart disease in women sharply rises after menopause, but we still do not understand why. We are using novel molecular profiling approaches to investigate the role of inflammation and hormones in menopause-related cardiovascular disease. Our group has shown that inflammatory protein biomarkers and eicosanoid upstream inflammatory mediators are upregulated in pre- vs post-menopausal women. We also have an active study examining changes in molecular profiles including protein biomarkers, eicosanoid metabolites, and endothelial cell gene expression in women through the menopause transition.
Digital biomarkers for CVD risk assessment in women
There is limited experience applying data science and machine learning tools to improve risk prediction in women. Through collaboration with the Broad Institute Machine Learning for Health (ML4H) group, we led an effort to develop a novel multi-institutional electronic health record pregnancy cohort and are now developing deep learning tools to improve risk stratification of cardiovascular complications during pregnancy.