Leroy Cooper
My research interests lie in investigating the leading cause of death in the world: cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffening and abnormal vascular hemodynamics with advancing age are associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, including premature death. In light of a rapid aging of the world population, the burden of cardiovascular disease, and its associated disorders, will increase substantially over the next years. As such, novel therapeutic and preventative measures are necessary to limit or reduce arterial stiffening and downstream target organ damage with advancing age. Using a population-based approach, my research seeks to examine the associations of abnormal hemodynamics and adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes in order to elucidate potential targets for treatment and prevention.
- 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
My research interests lie in investigating the leading cause of death in the world: cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffening and abnormal vascular hemodynamics with advancing age are associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, including premature death. In light of a rapid aging of the world population, the burden of cardiovascular disease, and its associated disorders, will increase substantially over the next years. As such, novel therapeutic and preventative measures are necessary to limit or reduce arterial stiffening and downstream target organ damage with advancing age. Using a population-based approach, my research seeks to examine the associations of abnormal hemodynamics and adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes in order to elucidate potential targets for treatment and prevention.
Research and Academic Interests
Epidemiology and public health
Cardiovascular physiology
Arterial stiffness and vascular hemodynamics
Target organ damage
Vascular brain injury
Departments and Programs
Courses
BIOL 108 Information Flow in Biological Systems
BIOL 371 Cardiovascular Physiology and Epidemiology
BIOL 393 Special Topics in Biology
STS 393 Special Topics in Biology
Selected Publications
- 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, Himali JJ, Torjesen A, Tsao CW, Beiser A, Hamburg NM, DeCarli C, Vasan RS, Seshadri S, Pase MP, Mitchell GF. Inter-relations of orthostatic blood pressure change, aortic stiffness, and brain structure and function in young adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6(8):e006206. [PMID: 28862943].
- 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].
