UofSC faculty experts list on American Heart month
Posted on: February 6, 2018; Updated on: February 6, 2018
By John Brunelli, brunelli@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3697
To help journalists with stories related to American Heart month, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts. To arrange an interview, contact the staff member listed with the entry.
Heart disease in women
Cardiovascular disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 women's deaths, according to the American
Heart Association. Statistics also show that fewer women than men survive their first
heart attack. Abbi Lane-Cordova, exercise science professor in the Arnold School of Public Health, has conducted
research on heart disease prevention, particularly in women. She is working to understand
the increased long-term heart disease risk in women who have experienced certain pregnancy
complications such as high blood pressure.
News contact: John Brunelli, brunelli@mailbox.sc.edu; 803-777-3697.
Heart disease and health disparities
Cheryl Armstead, associate professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, studies the relationships between exposure to racism and stress-induced increases in blood pressure and cardiovascular health. A nationally recognized expert on social inequities and sociocultural influences on health disparities, Armstead runs the university’s Health Equity Laboratory. Her research also has included studies on socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease and ties between debt stress and health.
News contact: Mary-Kathryn Craft, craftm@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-576-6195.
Dawn Wilson, professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, leads a research program
on developing innovative ways to promote cardiovascular health in underserved populations.
Her research includes promoting healthy diet and physical activity to minority youth
and their families and developing effective childhood obesity prevention programs
in underserved communities. Wilson leads a National Institutes of Health funded project
called Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss that targets African-American
adolescents and their parents who are at high risk for diabetes and related chronic
diseases.
News contact: Mary-Kathryn Craft, craftm@mailbox.sc.edu; 803-576-6195
New treatments for heart failure
Nearly 5 million Americans are currently living with congestive heart failure, and approximately 550,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Dr. Frank Spinale, associate dean of research and graduate education at the School of Medicine, is researching new treatment options for heart failure. Spinale, who also serves as staff physician and scientist the WJB Dorn VA Hospital, also has done research on heart failure in younger populations and advanced imaging of the heart.
News contact: Alyssa Yancey, alyssa.yancey@uscmed.sc.edu; 407-312-2636.
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