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Research Summary
My current research uses clinical data from UMMC’s Research Data Warehouse, a de-identified database of UMMC patient information, to study how factors such as race and sex influence disease progression and treatment responses. In addition, I also utilize HumMod, a comprehensive physiological mathematical model that includes over 14 organ systems, to investigate cardiovascular and renal outcomes to disease states including obesity, hypertension, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We also have the ability with HumMod to develop virtual populations (unique models) that are calibrated to clinical data.
Despite guideline-directed therapies, Black individuals experience a disproportionately higher burden of comorbidities including obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and CKD. Unfortunately, many evidence-based treatments recommendations are based on clinical trials with an under representation of Black participants. Currently, CKD management focuses on slowing disease progression with adequate blood pressure control and use of renoprotective drugs. Recently, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have shown to significantly decrease body weight and improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes. Although GLP-1RAs have demonstrated substantial metabolic and cardiovascular benefits, their long-term hemodynamic effects and impact on CKD development and progression are not yet fully understood, and real-world data on the effectiveness of therapies outside of controlled clinical trial settings is lacking. By integrating large EHR data with mathematical modeling approaches to examine CKD and cardiovascular outcomes, including differences by race and sex, we hope to better understand the physiological consequences of GLP-1RA therapy to directly inform risk stratification, therapeutic decision-making, and race-specific health outcomes. Furthermore, mathematical modeling of pathophysiology and physiological responses to treatment will allow investigation of potential mechanisms and long-term hemodynamic changes that cannot be readily or ethically measured in humans.