Healthy Mind, Healthy Heart
Vision: Achieve better brain and heart health for all.
Principal Investigator: Ambar Kulshreshtha, MD, PhD
Research Interests
‘Things that are good for the heart, can be good for the brain too’. Our research group is interested in investigating vascular pathways and the mechanisms of how behavioral interventions can improve heart and cognitive (brain) health. We seek to better understand the role of traditional vascular risk factors, explore novel biomarkers, and the use of technology as it relates to the heart-brain link. Primary care is best positioned to improve this knowledge and help eliminate health disparities so that people from all groups can live and age better. We are guided by our values of trust, shared connectedness, and humility in this endeavor.
Our group is multidisciplinary, with experts in primary care, cardiology, behavioral health, geriatrics, neurology, and public health. Our research is amplified by using social, community, and cultural contexts to investigate factors that may be salient in intervening and achieving healthy behavior change and outcomes. Besides research, we are also involved in community education on the prevention of heart disease and dementia in underserved regions of Georgia.
Learn more about our community programs and research studies below. For questions, please email us at mindandheart@emory.edu
LIGHT and PRISEM
LIGHT – Lifestyle Intervention Guidance for a Healthier Tomorrow: The LIGHT team is piloting tailored lifestyle interventions to understand the role of psychosocial factors, health disparities for diabetes, and dementia prevention. Our interventions are delivered in a group-based format at home and in-person setting.
PRISEM- Program to Improve Stress levels and Enhance Memory: The PRISEM study is testing if a multicomponent lifestyle intervention program for patients with mild cognitive impairment can improve memory, stress levels, and biomarkers in both African Americans and White participants.
LIGHT and PRISEM Contact: Divinity Amos-Richards Phone: 770-330-7206
PREVENTABLE
PREVENTABLE: PREVENTABLE is the largest clinical trial in older adults. The purpose is to learn if taking a cholesterol-lowering drug (statin) could help older adults live well for longer by preventing dementia, disability, or heart disease.
Learn more about the study at: https://preventabletrial.org/home.cfm
Contact: William (Koty) Brown Phone: 770-330-7790
SAHAR
SAHAR- South Asian Health Aging Research. South Asians have one of the highest rates of heart disease and vascular risk factors. The goal of this program is to understand the role of social and behavioral factors on attitudes and perceptions in the Asian community regarding aging and dementia. We will later expand this program to enroll other Asian minority groups. We are collaborating with the University of California at San Francisco's CARE program for this work.
Learn more about the CARE registry: https://careregistry.ucsf.edu/home
Contact: Sushraya Jay Phone: 770-330-7790
Co-Mind
Co-Mind: Our group is also investigating the effects of COVID-19 on heart and brain health and understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Please reach out to us at our study group email: mindandheart@emory.edu
