What is your professional background?
I received a MD from the University of Milan, Italy, and a PhD in Epidemiology from Yale University. Between 1995 and 2000, I was part of the faculty at the Yale School of Public Health. In 2000, I joined Emory as faculty in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and between 2010 and 2018, I served as Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, while I retained a secondary appointment in the Division of Cardiology.
In what division do you work, and who do you mentor?
I am the Wilton Looney Chair of Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health. I hold a secondary appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology. I mentor primarily MPH and PhD students in Epidemiology, PhD postdocs, and MD cardiology fellows. I am the director of a NHLBI-funded T32 training grant in the Department of Epidemiology, developed in collaboration with the Division of Cardiology. This program provides mentoring, training, and stipend support for PhD students and MD or PhD postdoctoral fellows working in cardiovascular sciences with a focus on health disparities.
Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
My research interests lay in cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention, in particular the study of women’s cardiovascular health, social and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular health inequalities. A focus of my research is mind-body relationships centering on the role of psychological stress and mental health factors on cardiovascular risk. This is an important area as it is understudied and is highly relevant for cardiovascular risk, especially among women.
What do you like most about Emory?
I really enjoy the collegiality, collaboration, strong research environment, and beautiful campus with most schools being within walking distance of each other.
What is your favorite movie or TV show?
For news, I watch PBS NewsHour. For entertainment, Homecoming and Killing Eve are a couple of shows I recently enjoyed.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love cooking, reading, and traveling in my spare time.
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