# Mentoring and Patient Oriented Research in Cardiovascular Health and Digital Data Science

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $122,986

## Abstract

Project
Summary/Abstract
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(CV) disease affects nearly half of all adult Americans. Although achieving “ideal CV health” i s
 with lower mortality nd morbidity, many individuals struggle with modifying CV health behaviors.
in precision medicine offer promise in better targeting these behaviors to improve CV health. Over
past decade, there has been exponential growth in digital data (e.g. social media, online search, remote
measures) generated by individuals which reflects their health behaviors, attitudes, and environmental
These data sources however are often not linked with validated measures, unprocessed, and not
interpretable for use in research or clinical practice. My research portfolio has focused on collecting and
CV focused digital data for insights, prediction, and clinical applications. My career focus is on
high-impact atient-oriented research (POR) t o better understand how to best access, analyze and
these data in a way that is patient-centered and highly applied. This includes work which focuses on
related to privacy, security, and patient preferences. This K24 award will support protected time for me
i ntently on: 1) implementing a research program to advance POR in CV health and digital data science
2) training a pipeline of investigators who are well trained in methodologies for conducting this work and
will be future POR leaders i n this area of study. This proposal focuses on necessary steps for developing
executing a comprehensive and structured mentorship program that will support mentees (undergraduate,
fellow, faculty) for research and career development. This focus aligns with NHLBIs overarching
in “data science” and “further developing, diversifying and sustaining a NHLBI focused scientific
This proposal builds on my current NHLBI R01, R21, and Foundation grants and will support my
to pursue career-oriented training in clinical trials, social media ethics, and academic leadership. This
will also support two new areas of research: 1) building computational models using large digital media
sets for population-level surveillance of modifiable CV health behaviors in real time, 2) developing patient
reflecting use and engagement which can inform digital interventions to address modifiable CV
behaviors.
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The environment for this K24 is the University of Pennsylvania-a world renowned institution
with extensive resources to support research at the intersection of medicine, computer science,
communication, and engineering—fields critical for advancing this research and supporting interdisciplinary
trainees. The areas of focus for this K24 represent new frontiers in precision medicine and digital phenotyping
for CV health that can be advanced and led by well-trained interdisciplinary POR researchers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10433940
- **Project number:** 5K24HL157621-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Raina Merchant
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $122,986
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10433940

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10433940, Mentoring and Patient Oriented Research in Cardiovascular Health and Digital Data Science (5K24HL157621-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10433940. Licensed CC0.

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