# Social Network Characteristics and Cardiovascular Health in South Asian Americans

> **NIH NIH F32** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $78,150

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The goal of this NRSA individual postdoctoral fellowship is to facilitate Dr. Nilay Shah's development as
a leader and independent physician-scientist in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention
research. With recent reversal of decades of decreasing trends in age-adjusted ASCVD mortality, innovative
approaches to identify novel contributors to ASCVD risk are critical. As previous work indicates that a person's
health may be influenced by the people with whom one has social contact, Dr. Shah proposes to evaluate the
influence of personal social network characteristics on cardiovascular health and ASCVD, specifically in South
Asians, who experience a disproportionately high burden of ASCVD and have robust social network structures.
Dr. Shah and his mentors have designed a comprehensive plan that builds upon his clinical cardiovascular
disease training and research background in cardiovascular epidemiology with the aim of launching his career
as an independent investigator. He proposes to develop additional skills during the award period through (1)
methodology-focused coursework in social network analysis, qualitative methods, and advanced biostatistics;
(2) mentoring by a multidisciplinary team of sponsors and collaborators with complementary expertise in
cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention, South Asian health, social network-based research, and
mixed methods analysis; and (3) a supervised research project that aligns with the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute's challenge to investigate factors, including social exposures, that account for differences in
health among populations. The scientific objectives of this research project are addressed via two specific
aims: (1) to evaluate using epidemiologic methods the associations of personal social network and
organizational affiliation network data with cardiovascular health and ASCVD measured by coronary artery
calcium in South Asian American participants in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in
America (MASALA) cohort study, and (2) to characterize using qualitative methods the mechanisms employed
by participants in the South Asian Heart Lifestyle Initiative (SAHELI) behavioral intervention trial to disseminate
information and health-related behaviors within their social networks. The proposed research project, training,
and mentoring team will foster Dr. Shah's proficiency in mixed methodology in cardiovascular epidemiology,
evaluation of population-based data, and scientific writing. The goals of this project directly address NHLBI's
compelling questions to investigate how social conditions influence ischemic heart disease risk, and how this
risk may be managed to improve health trajectories. By leveraging a collaborative research infrastructure to
investigate new mechanisms that may contribute to ASCVD development, Dr. Shah ultimately aims to inform
prevention strategies and reduce the burden of ASCVD worldwide. Near ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9988226
- **Project number:** 5F32HL149187-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nilay S. Shah
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $78,150
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9988226

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9988226, Social Network Characteristics and Cardiovascular Health in South Asian Americans (5F32HL149187-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9988226. Licensed CC0.

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