About

Kevin Heffernan, Ph.D, is an Associate Professor of Movement Science and Education and the Director of the Applied Neurovascular Physiology Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University. His professional role centers on advancing research in the field of neurovascular physiology, with a focus on understanding the interactions between brain blood flow and vascular health. As the lab director, he oversees a team engaged in studies that incorporate neuroscience research techniques to investigate the brain's connection to vascular function and health. Dr. Heffernan's leadership in the lab supports a multidisciplinary approach to exploring how vascular health impacts cognitive function and overall brain physiology, contributing to the broader understanding of neurovascular coupling and its implications for health and disease.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Natural Language Processing
• Medicine
• Computer Security
• Internal medicine
• Cardiology
• Speech recognition
• Machine Learning
• Environmental science
• Anesthesia
• Environmental chemistry
• Optics
• Environmental protection
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Demography
• Environmental health
• Psychology
• Data science

Selected publications

• Comparison of the effects of inspiratory muscle strength training and aerobic exercise training on vascular function in patients with hypertension

  European Journal of Applied Physiology · 2026-01-30

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Vascular stiffness predicts plasma markers of neurodegeneration among older African Americans

  The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease · 2026-02-27 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Vascular health is a critical and potentially modifiable determinant of Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk, yet its contribution to early neurodegenerative processes remains incompletely understood, particularly among African Americans, who experience a disproportionate AD burden. Estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV), derived from age and blood pressure, provides a scalable index of vascular stiffness. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between vascular stiffness and plasma biomarkers of AD-related neurodegeneration in older African Americans. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Community-based aging cohort study conducted at an academic research center. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 145 cognitively unimpaired older African Americans (mean age=71.18±6.83 years; 110 women). MEASUREMENTS: ePWV was calculated using validated equations based on age and blood pressure. Plasma biomarkers included phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217; N=145), phosphorylated tau231 (p-tau231; N=126), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; N=126), neurofilament light chain (NfL; N=126), and amyloid-β42/40 ratio (Aβ42/40; N=126). Multivariable regression models adjusted for sex, education, pulse pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, global cognition, and hypertension status. RESULTS: Higher ePWV was significantly associated with higher plasma concentrations of p-tau217 (β=0.34, p=.006), GFAP (β=0.55, p<.001), and NfL (β=0.52, p<.001), but not with p-tau231 and Aβ42/40 (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS: Greater vascular stiffness, indexed by elevated ePWV, was associated with circulating markers of tau-related neurodegeneration, astrocytic activation, and axonal injury in cognitively unimpaired older African Americans. The absence of association with p-tau231 and Aβ42/40 suggests preferential effects on neurovascular damage and later tau-related processes, but no primary effect on biomarkers related to Aβ pathology, still highlighting vascular health as a modifiable target for AD prevention.

  PublisherDOI

• The Joint Association of Veteran and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

  Innovation in Aging · 2025-12-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Identifying subpopulations at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is important for preventive purposes. We use pooled data from the 2021-2023 National Wellbeing Survey (NWS) (N = 17,257) to examine the joint influence of veteran and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) statuses on high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease diagnosis by a health care professional among working-age adults. The NWS uniquely measures PTSD among veterans and non-veterans. In well-controlled multivariable logistic regression analyses, relative to non-veterans without PTSD (henceforth the reference group), the odds of high blood pressure are significantly higher among non-veterans (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.48, p&amp;lt;.001) and veterans with PTSD (AOR=1.63, p&amp;lt;.01), and post-hoc tests indicate that both of these groups also have significantly higher odds of high blood pressure than veterans without PTSD. For high cholesterol, the odds are significantly higher among non-veterans with PTSD (AOR=1.33, p&amp;lt;.001) and both veterans without (AOR=1.24, p&amp;lt;.05) and with PTSD (AOR=1.51, p&amp;lt;.01) relative to the reference group. For diabetes, both veterans without (AOR=1.36, p&amp;lt;.01) and with PTSD (1.72, p&amp;lt;.010) have higher odds relative to the reference group, and veterans with PTSD have significantly higher odds than non-veterans with PTSD. For heart disease, the odds are higher for non-veterans with PTSD (AOR=1.90, p&amp;lt;.001), and both veterans without (AOR=1.38, p&amp;lt;.05) and with PTSD (AOR=2.44, p&amp;lt;.001) relative to the reference group, and veterans with PTSD have significantly higher odds than veterans without PTSD. These results suggest that both veteran and PTSD statuses contribute to CVD risk, and that their influences are at times synergistic.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effect of Acute Resistance Exercise and Resistance Exercise Training on Central Pulsatile Hemodynamics and Large Artery Stiffness: Part I

  Pulse · 2025-02-07 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Engaging in habitual resistance exercise training (RET; also known as strength training) causes systemic health effects beyond those caused by aerobic/endurance exercise training alone. Despite the resoundingly favorable effect of habitual RET on measures of cardiovascular disease risk, controversy still exists regarding the vascular health effects of this exercise modality largely because some studies find increases in large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics with RET. In this two-part series, we examine the effect of acute resistance exercise (RE) and RET on large artery stiffness and pulsatile hemodynamics. We perform a historical overview of seminal/classic studies and report on key findings that have shaped the field. We provide personal commentary on the studies and potential implications of findings related to the acute effects of RE on large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. For part one of this two-part series, we perform a detailed analysis of the hemodynamic signature produced during RE and discuss the sub-acute effects on short-term modulation of large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. Summary: Acute RE elicits marked ("extreme") elevations in arterial pressure, mediated primarily by increases in vascular resistance and intrathoracic pressure (ITP). Vascular compression from muscular contraction contributes to increases in afterload via increased vascular resistance and pressure from wave reflections. However, as a result of the higher ITP associated with breath holds (Valsalva maneuver) during high relative efforts (>80%), the change in pressure across the aortic wall (transmural pressure) is less than the change in intra-arterial pressure. Key Messages: The high arterial pressures during some heavy weight lifting exercises are associated with positive swings with ITP related to the Valsalva maneuver and elevations in vascular resistance. The pressure oscillations lead to marked stress within the vascular wall and likely contribute to elevations in large artery stiffness over the subsequent hour.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Exploring the Intersection of Cardiovascular Disease, Sex and Race and How Exercise, and Gut Microbiota Influence these Relationships

  Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2025-02-20 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, with physical inactivity being a known contributor to the global rates of CVD incidence. CVD incidence, however, is not uniform with recognized sex differences as well and racial and ethnic differences. Furthermore, gut microbiota have been associated with CVD, sex, and race/ethnicity. Researchers have begun to examine the interplay of these complicated yet interrelated topics. This review will present evidence that CVD (risk and development), and gut microbiota are distinct between the sexes and racial/ethnic groups, which appear to be influenced by acculturation, discrimination, stress, and lifestyle factors like exercise. Furthermore, this review will address the beneficial impacts of exercise on the cardiovascular system and will provide recommendations for future research in the field.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Carotid Artery Viscoelasticity Following Acute Exercise: Insight From Shear Wave Elastography

  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2025-09-16

  articleSenior author

  PURPOSE: To compare measures of carotid artery viscoelasticity from SWE with traditional measures of carotid artery stiffness during recovery from acute aerobic exercise (AE) and resistance exercise (RE). METHODS: Participants (n = 11, age = 27 ± 5 yrs, n = 9 female) completed parallel experimental conditions on 2 separate days. Acute AE (30 minutes of cycling, 65% of heart rate reserve) was completed the first session for all participants followed by acute RE (30 minutes, 5 sets of 5 repetitions for bench press and 5 sets of 10 repetitions for biceps curl). Ultrasound with radiofrequency echo-based wall tracking and SWE was applied to the common carotid artery to measure carotid compliance, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and Young’s modulus. Lower values of compliance and higher values of PWV suggest higher stiffness, while higher SWE values suggest lower viscoelasticity. Measurements were made at baseline and 5 minutes after acute exercise. Analysis of variance with repeated measures examined condition effects (AE vs RE), time effects (pre vs post) and condition-by-time interactions. RESULTS: There was a time effect for compliance (p = 0.004). The reduction in compliance following acute AE (1.14 ± .31mm2/kPa to .98 ± .26mm2/kPa) and RE (1.14 ± 0.35mm2/kPa to .84 ± .20mm2/kPa) were similar (p for interaction = 0.264). There was a time effect for PWV (p = 0.041). The increase in PWV following acute AE (5.6 ± 1.0 m/s to 6.4 ± 1.1 m/s) and RE (5.4 ± .8 m/s to 5.8 ± .7 m/s) were similar (p for interaction = 0.205). There was a condition-by-time interaction for Young’s modulus measured with SWE (p = 0.007). There was a reduction in Young’s modulus following AE (37.7 ± 9.3 kPa to 29.7 ± 9.2 kPa) and an increase in Young’s modulus following RE (33.9 ± 12.4 kPa to 39.4 ± 10.6 kPa). CONCLUSIONS: SWE provides novel insight into vascular recovery from acute AE and RE not reflected in traditional measures. Following acute RE, there are BP-dependent and independent increases in carotid stiffness and reductions in viscoelasticity. Following acute AE, there are BP-dependent increases in carotid stiffness masking concomitant increases in viscoelasticity.

  PublisherDOI

• Association between low‐frequency oscillations in blood pressure variability and brain age derived from neuroimaging

  UNC Libraries · 2025-12-17

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  INTRODUCTION: We examined the association between low-frequency oscillations in blood pressure variability (LF-BPV) at baseline (past) and 12 years later (concurrent) and BrainAGE gap (an indicator of brain health). METHODS: Participants were 110 adults (age range 37-83 years at baseline, 60% female) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. LF-BPV (0.04-0.15&nbsp;Hz) was spectrally decomposed from beat-to-beat BP waveforms acquired from finger photoplethysmography. BrainAGE was estimated using a Gaussian-process regression model applied to raw T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. BrainAGE gap was calculated as brain age minus chronological age. RESULTS: After adjustment for covariates, higher past diastolic LF-BPV was associated with significantly reduced BrainAGE gap (&beta;&nbsp;=&nbsp;-2.24; 95% CI -4.15, -0.32, p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.022), as was higher concurrent diastolic LF-BPV (&beta;&nbsp;=&nbsp;-1.90; 95% CI -3.68, -0.12, p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.037). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that low-frequency oscillations in diastolic BPV are associated with slower brain aging relative to chronological age. HIGHLIGHTS: Low-frequency oscillations in diastolic blood pressure variability, a marker of vasomotion, are reduced with aging. Low-frequency oscillations in diastolic blood pressure variability are favorably associated with BrainAGE gap, a marker of overall brain health, measured from neuroimaging. Reductions in vasomotion with aging may contribute to accelerated brain aging relative to chronological age.

  PublisherDOI

• Impaired Endothelial Function in Individuals With Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19

  Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention · 2025-02-26 · 2 citations

  article

  PURPOSE: We investigated the presence of impaired endothelial function in individuals with post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease-2019 (PASC) compared to healthy individuals and explored the efficacy of combined exercise training in restoring or improving endothelial function in those with PASC. METHODS: Study I was a cross-sectional study which compared endothelial function between individuals with PASC (n = 29, mean age 22.9 ± 3.9 year) and healthy individuals (n = 42, mean age 21.7 ± 2.0 year). Study II, an intervention design, explored if combined exercise training (n = 14) could reverse the decline in endothelial function associated with PASC compared to controls (n = 14). The combined exercise program included aerobic, resistance, and inspiratory muscle training administered for 8 weeks. We measured endothelial function using flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and assessed peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), dyspnea, and fatigue before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Individuals with PASC exhibited significantly lower endothelial function compared to healthy controls (4.95 ± 2.0% vs 8.00 ± 2.4%, P < .001). The exercise group showed a significant increase in endothelial function (4.73 ± 1.5% to 7.98 ± 2.4%) as opposed to the control group (5.31 ± 2.5% to 6.30 ± 2.5%) (interaction effect: P = .008), reaching levels similar to those in healthy individuals. Additionally, the exercise group demonstrated improvement in VO2peak (38.3 ± 6.4 ml/min/kg to 42.8 ± 7.3 ml/min/kg, P < .001) and a reduction in dyspnea and fatigue compared to the control group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Having PASC is associated with impaired endothelial function, but combined exercise training effectively restores it, making it a promising lifestyle intervention for vascular function in PASC.

  PublisherDOI

• Does Acute Exercise Impact Central Hemodynamics In Adults With POTS?

  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2025-09-16

  article

  Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) is a heterogenous autonomic disorder marked by indicators of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including sympathetic dysfunction, blood pressure abnormalities, and endothelial dysfunction. POTS is predominately studied in premenopausal females in which the long-term implications of POTS are unclear and CVD risk may be undetected. As acute aerobic exercise can positively affect central hemodynamic load by attenuating wave reflections and arterial stiffness, exercise may improve subclinical CVD risk in POTS patients. PURPOSE: To explore the effects of acute aerobic exercise on subclinical CVD risk in POTS by comparing wave reflections and aortic stiffness in POTS patients compared to healthy controls before and after semi-recumbent cycling. METHODS: Four POTS patients (25.0 ± 4.3 years; 3 females) and nine healthy controls (31.2 ± 12.4 years; 4 females) underwent subclinical vascular assessment before and fifteen minutes after a 30-minute bout of moderate-intensity recumbent cycling (40-60% heart rate reserve). Aortic pressure waveforms were determined using pulse wave analysis and a generalized transfer function from radial pressure waveforms. Augmentation index (AIx) was taken as a global measure of wave reflections. Central aortic stiffness was measured via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) using applanation tonometry. Two-way analysis of variance determined differences in measures of central hemodynamic load between groups (POTS, controls) and across time (pre-exercise, post-exercise). RESULTS: There were no significant group by time interactions for AIx (POTS: 9.3 ± 18.6 vs. 7.0 ± 14.2%, controls: 16.9 ± 12.7 vs. 10.9 ± 13.9%; p = 0.50), heart rate-corrected AIx (POTS: 3.9 ± 17.0 vs. 5.5 ± 11.2%, controls: 7.6 ± 11.1 vs. 4.4 ± 13.5%; p = 0.41), or cfPWV (POTS: 5.7 ± 0.7 vs. 5.9 ± 1.1 m/s, controls: 5.6 ± 1.1 vs. 5.7 ± 1.1 m/s; p = 0.50), such that POTS and healthy controls responded similarly before and after exercise in terms of central hemodynamic load. CONCLUSION: POTS patients have similar central hemodynamic load compared to healthy controls in response to an acute bout of exercise. We may see future significant effects of exercise on hemodynamics between groups with a larger sample size as this study is currently ongoing.

  PublisherDOI

• Effect of Acute Resistance Exercise and Resistance Exercise Training on Central Pulsatile Hemodynamics and Large Artery Stiffness: Part II

  Pulse · 2025-02-07 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: In part one of this two-part series, we performed a detailed analysis of the hemodynamic signature produced during resistance exercise (RE) and discussed the subacute effects on short-term modulation of large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. In this second part of our two-part series, we consider the subacute recovery window as the driver of resistance exercise training (RET) adaptations. We then discuss the results of RET interventions and corroborate these findings against the information gleaned from cross-sectional studies in habitually strength-trained athletes. Finally, we explore associations between muscular strength and arterial stiffness. Summary: Our reanalysis of key studies assessing arterial stiffness in the hour post-RE suggests changes in both load-dependent and load-independent indices of arterial (aortic) stiffness. Regarding adaptations to habitual RET, a growing body of evidence contradicts earlier findings that suggested RET increases large artery stiffness. Recent meta-analyses conclude that longitudinal RET has no effect or may even reduce large artery stiffness. However, cross-sectional studies continue to support early RET intervention studies and note that habitual RET may increase large artery stiffness and central pulsatile hemodynamics. Complex interactions between vascular smooth muscle cells and the extracellular matrix may offer insight into inter-individual heterogeneity in subacute responses and chronic adaptations to acute RE and habitual RET. Key Messages: Habitual RET is fundamentally important for skeletal muscle quality and quantity as well as cardiovascular function. Recent literature suggests that habitual RET has negligible effects on large artery stiffness and central hemodynamic pressure pulsatility, but cross-sectional observations still raise questions about the chronic large artery effects of habitual RET.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Racial Differences in Arterial Stiffness and Cognitive Function.

  NIH · $150k · 2017–2021

Frequent coauthors

• Sae Young Jae

  208 shared

• Bo Fernhall

  University of Massachusetts Boston

  187 shared

• Wesley K. Lefferts

  Iowa State University

  115 shared

• Bo Fernhall

  University of Massachusetts Boston

  58 shared

• Sushant M. Ranadive

  University of Maryland, College Park

  54 shared

• Jacob P. DeBlois

  Syracuse University

  53 shared

• Brooks B. Gump

  Syracuse University

  50 shared

• Stamatis Agiovlasitis

  48 shared

Labs

• Applied Neurovascular Physiology LabPI

  Not provided

Education

• B.S., Exercise Science

  The University of Scranton

• M.S., Applied (Exercise) Physiology and Nutrition

  Teachers College, Columbia University

• Ph.D., Kinesiology (Exercise Physiology)

  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Other

  Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center

• Other

  Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

Awards & honors

• Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM)