Columbia Nursing Recognizes American Heart Month and Cardiovascular Professionals Week

This American Heart Month and Cardiovascular Professionals Week, Columbia Nursing recognizes the importance of heart health and those who make contributions to cardiovascular research across the globe, particularly researchers who study cardiovascular disease among marginalized populations.

Featured below are three of Columbia Nursing’s leading cardiovascular health researchers, all affiliated with the newly launched Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC): Jacquelyn Taylor, PhD, Professor of Nursing and CRPC founding executive director; Assistant Professor Billy A. Caceres, PhD; and Assistant Professor Veronica Barcelona, PhD.  

Jacquelyn Taylor, PhD, Professor of Nursing and Executive Director, Center for Research on People of Color

Jacquelyn Y. Taylor, PhD, PNP-BC, FAHA, FAAN, focuses on the interaction of genetic and social factors that contribute to health disparities, such as the disproportionate impact of chronic conditions on underrepresented populations in the United States and around the world. Her study, "Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure," measured the impact of psychological factors such as parenting stress, maternal mental health and general stress with genetics and DNA methylation on blood pressure among African American mothers and their young children. Taylor’s other research addresses issues of lead exposure and cardiovascular health, and their impact on the epigenome in diverse populations. 

Other recent research includes:  

• Exploring Psychosocial Mediators of the Associations of Lifetime Trauma and Body Mass Index in African American Women 
• Depressive Symptoms and Blood Pressure in African American Women: A Secondary Analysis from the InterGEN Study

Billy Caceres, PhD, Assistant Professor

Billy Caceres, PhD, RN, AGPCNP-BC, uses biobehavioral approaches to identify and intervene on psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease in marginalized populations across the life span. He is principal investigator on several studies investigating how adverse life experiences affect cardiovascular disease risk in marginalized adults. Caceres was also the lead author of the American Heart Association’s recent scientific statement, “Assessing and Addressing Cardiovascular Health in LGBTQ Adults.”  

Here is some of his research on cardiovascular health: 

• Sexual Identity and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Awareness of Heart Attack and Stroke Symptoms: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey 
• A Population-Based Study of the Intersection of Sexual Identity and Race/Ethnicity on Physiological Risk Factors for CVD Among U.S. Adults (ages 18-59) 

Veronica Barcelona, PhD, Assistant Professor

Veronica Barcelona PhD, MPH, RN, PHNA-BC, is a public health nurse and epidemiologist whose research interests include epigenetics, pregnancy health, and women’s cardiovascular health across the life span, with a focus on African American and Latino populations. She is especially interested in how exposure to stressors such as violence and racism/discrimination can alter gene expression, and the relationship between these epigenetic changes and perinatal health outcomes.

Here are two of her recent publications: 

• High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy, DNA Methylation, and Later Blood Pressure in African American Women Enrolled in the InterGEN Study 
• Novel DNA Methylation Sites Associated with Cigarette Smoking Among African Americans