# MASALA-2G: Multi-level Assessment of the South Asian Life-course of Atherosclerosis (2nd Generation Offspring Study)

> **NIH NIH K23** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $162,836

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 This career development award will provide Dr. Nilay Shah the opportunity to develop as an independent
investigator of community and clinical cardiovascular disease prevention in the South Asian American
population, and build on his experience in population epidemiology and clinical cardiovascular medicine. South
Asians experience a disproportionately higher burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) at
younger ages compared to other race/ethnic groups, but little is known about antecedent cardiovascular health
in 2nd generation young adult South Asian Americans to inform early life prevention strategies in this risk-
enhanced group. The proposed application aims to pilot MASALA-2G, the Multi-level Assessment of the South
Asian Life-course of Atherosclerosis (2nd Generation Offspring Study), an offspring study to the Mediators of
Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) cohort who are predominantly 1st generation
immigrant South Asians. MASALA-2G represents a foundational investigation in the cardiovascular health of
the South Asian American population and aligns directly with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
mission and objective to promote the prevention of heart diseases in diverse populations. Under the
mentorship of Drs. Namratha Kandula and Mark Huffman, who are leading researchers with combined
expertise in South Asian health, prevention intervention trials, community engaged research, and
implementation science, Dr. Shah proposes a comprehensive research and multidisciplinary career
development plan composed of formal coursework, intensive mentorship, and experiential training in cohort
management and community engagement in health disparity populations, advanced statistical methods for
multi-level associations, genomics, and implementation science. The Specific Aims are to: (1) pilot the
MASALA-2G study of cardiovascular health in 2nd generation SA adults age 21-40 years, who are offspring of
MASALA parent study participants; (2) determine multi-level contributors to cardiovascular health and coronary
artery calcium in MASALA-2G participants; and (3) contextualize a cardiovascular health promotion behavioral
intervention for this population based on quantitative findings, following the Intervention Mapping framework.
The proposed research and training will occur at Northwestern University, which provides Dr. Shah with: (1)
access to unparalleled infrastructure and partnerships for research in the South Asian community, (2) a
multidisciplinary team of mentors and collaborators with comprehensive relevant expertise, (3) strong
institutional support from the Division of Cardiology and Department of Preventive Medicine, and (4) training
opportunities including in Northwestern’s Center for Community Health, Center for Global Cardiovascular
Health, and Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Ultimately, this research and career development will
enable Dr. Shah’s tran...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10407490
- **Project number:** 5K23HL157766-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nilay S. Shah
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $162,836
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10407490

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10407490, MASALA-2G: Multi-level Assessment of the South Asian Life-course of Atherosclerosis (2nd Generation Offspring Study) (5K23HL157766-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10407490. Licensed CC0.

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