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

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 transition to independent research for cardiovascular prevention in South Asian populations.