Leroy Cooper
I am a cardiovascular epidemiologist and physiologist focused on understanding the consequences of abnormal vascular hemodynamics. I am particularly interested in how elevated aortic stiffening and pressure pulsatility contribute to adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. By investigating the pathways leading to these adverse outcomes, I aim to uncover potential therapeutic and preventive targets. With the rapidly aging global population, the burden of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is expected to rise sharply. Additionally, these health challenges disproportionately impact ethnic and racial minority groups, further compounding public health disparities. I am committed to examining the factors contributing to these inequities and exploring interventions that may reduce this uneven burden.
My research is enriched by collaborative partnerships with colleagues at the Framingham Heart Study, the Jackson Heart Study, Cardiovascular Engineering, Inc., and The Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Additionally, some of my ongoing work with Vassar students involves using clinical datasets and other health data from publicly available sources. These multidisciplinary, data-rich research environments contribute valuable insights and aid in developing approaches to address the effects of vascular aging and improve health outcomes.
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute, Providence, RI, and Cardiovascular Engineering, Inc., Norwood, MA
- MPH, Quantitative Methods (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Harvard University, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
- PhD, Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Brown University, Providence, RI
- BS, Biochemistry and Sociology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Research Summary
I am a cardiovascular epidemiologist and physiologist focused on understanding the consequences of abnormal vascular hemodynamics. I am particularly interested in how elevated aortic stiffening and pressure pulsatility contribute to adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes. By investigating the pathways leading to these adverse outcomes, I aim to uncover potential therapeutic and preventive targets. With the rapidly aging global population, the burden of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is expected to rise sharply. Additionally, these health challenges disproportionately impact ethnic and racial minority groups, further compounding public health disparities. I am committed to examining the factors contributing to these inequities and exploring interventions that may reduce this uneven burden.
My research is enriched by collaborative partnerships with colleagues at the Framingham Heart Study, the Jackson Heart Study, Cardiovascular Engineering, Inc., and The Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Additionally, some of my ongoing work with Vassar students involves using clinical datasets and other health data from publicly available sources. These multidisciplinary, data-rich research environments contribute valuable insights and aid in developing approaches to address the effects of vascular aging and improve health outcomes.
Research and Academic Interests
Cardiovascular epidemiology and physiology
Vascular hemodynamics
Data science
Target organ damage
Vascular brain injury
Departments and Programs
Courses
BIOL 108 Information Flow in Biological Systems
BIOL 246 Epidemiology
BIOL 371 Cardiovascular Physiology and Epidemiology
BIOL 393 Special Topics in Biology
STS 393 Special Topics in Biology
Selected Publications
- Cooper LL, Prescott BR, Xanthakis V, Benjamin EJ, Vasan RS, Hamburg, NM, Long MT, Mitchell GF. Association of aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility with noninvasive estimates of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis: the Framingham Heart Study. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2024;44:1704–1715. [PMID: 38752348].
- Cooper LL, O’Donnell A, Beiser AS, Thibault EG, Sanchez JS, Benjamin EJ, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS, Larson MG, Johnson KA, Mitchell GF, Seshadri S. Association of aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility with global amyloid-β and regional tau burden among Framingham Heart Study participants without dementia. JAMA Neurol. 2022;79(7):710-719. [PMID: 35666520].
- Cooper LL, Rong J, Larson MG, Benjamin EJ, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF. Discrepancies in observed and predicted longitudinal change in central hemodynamic measures: the Framingham Heart Study. Hypertension. 2021;78(4):973-982. [PMID: 34365810].
- Cooper LL, Rong J, Pahlevan NM, Rinderknecht DG, Benjamin EJ, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS, Larson MG, Gharib M, Mitchell GF. Intrinsic frequencies of carotid pressure waveforms predict heart failure events: the Framingham Heart Study. Hypertension. 2021;77(2):338-346. [PMID: 33390053].
- Cooper LL, Musani SK, Moore JA, Clarke VA, Yano Y, Cobbs K, Tsao CW, Butler J, Hall ME, Hamburg NM, Benjamin EJ, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF, Fox ER. Clinical associations of vascular stiffness, microvascular dysfunction, and prevalent cardiovascular disease in a black cohort: the Jackson Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020;9(18):e017018. [PMID: 32873113].
- Cooper LL, Musani SK, Washington F, Moore J, Tripathi A, Tsao CW, Hamburg NM, Benjamin EJ, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF, Fox ER. Relations of microvascular function, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and aortic stiffness in blacks: the Jackson Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7(20):e009515. [PMID: 30371273].
- Cooper LL, Palmisano JN, Benjamin EJ, Larson MG, Levy D, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF, Hamburg NM. Microvascular function mediates relations between aortic stiffness and cardiovascular events. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2016;9(12):e004979. [PMID: 27956408].
- Cooper LL, Woodard T, Sigurdsson S, van Buchem MA, Torjesen AA, Levey AS, Inker LA, Aspelund T, Eiriksdottir E, Harris TB, Gudnason V, Launer LJ, Mitchell GF. Cerebrovascular damage mediates relations between aortic stiffness and memory. Hypertension. 2016;67:176-182. [PMID: 26573713].
- Cooper LL, Rong J, Benjamin EJ, Larson MG, Levy DL, Vita JA, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF. Components of hemodynamic load and cardiovascular events: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2015;131(4):354-361. [PMID: 25416177].
