# Identifying disparities in air pollution-attributable cardiovascular health outcomes within a quasi-experimental framework

> **NIH NIH K01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $159,255

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Air pollution – including exposure to particulate matter (PM) – is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in
the United States and worldwide. However, existing research examining the cardiovascular health effects of
PM2.5 exposure has several limitations, including residual confounding by correlated spatial and temporal
characteristics, and limited or conflicting evidence regarding the extent to which associations between PM2.5
and health outcomes vary according to individual and neighborhood characteristics. Moreover, few national
studies in the U.S. on the cardiovascular effects of PM2.5 have encapsulated a spectrum of health outcomes,
ranging from changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP) to hospitalizations and mortality. Examining
associations between air pollution and a continuum of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes contributes to
our understanding of causal mechanisms and sheds light on potential intervention opportunities.
The goal of this K01 award is to address gaps in the literature while also supporting the candidate’s goal of
transitioning to an independent scholar focused on identifying and addressing upstream environmental
determinants of CVD disparities. Through formal coursework, workshops, mentored research, and attendance
at scientific conferences, Dr. Titus will gain expertise in the pathogenesis of pollution-attributable CVD
outcomes, and will pursue methodological training in causal inference, multi-level EHR-based analyses, and
machine learning approaches. Building on Dr. Titus’s prior training as a social epidemiologist, these
complementary training and research aims will allow Dr. Titus to elucidate complex, intersectional patterns of
vulnerability to the health effects of air pollution and will provide her with a combination of methodological tools
that can be flexibly applied to future research questions at the nexus of environmental health, cardiovascular
epidemiology, and health disparities.
The proposed research will leverage EHR data from a large, national cohort of U.S. veterans to examine
associations between long-term PM2.5 exposure and CVD disparities within a novel quasi-experimental
framework, exploiting individual-level changes in PM2.5 exposure based on residential mobility. The proposed
aims 1) examine associations between PM2.5 and CVD-related outcomes (changes in SBP, hospitalizations
and mortality) among all veterans, 2) use hypothesis-driven approaches to examine how associations vary
according to socioeconomic status and urbanicity, and 3) use machine learning methods to explore
intersectional patterns of PM2.5-attributable CVD outcomes based on individual and area-level characteristics.
This work is in line with NHLBI’s strategic goals to elucidate drivers of population disparities in CVD and to
pursue novel linkages of large-scale environmental and EHR data. By providing salary support, training, and a
formal mentorship structure, this award will facilitate Dr. Titus’s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10892858
- **Project number:** 5K01HL169849-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea Titus
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $159,255
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-01 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10892858

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10892858, Identifying disparities in air pollution-attributable cardiovascular health outcomes within a quasi-experimental framework (5K01HL169849-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10892858. Licensed CC0.

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