Vanessa Xanthakis PhD
Associate Professor, Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
72 E. Concord Street | (617) 358-1304vanessax@bu.edu
Sections
Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology
Centers
Framingham Heart Study
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Biography
Dr. Vanessa Xanthakis is a biostatistician with training in applied mathematics and statistics, and has a strong commitment to clinical epidemiological research. Presently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and in the Biostatistics Department at Boston University School of Public Health. She is an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study and serves as the biostatistician on several investigations. She also serves as the Program Director for the Boston University T32 Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology and the Promotion of Research In MEdical Residency (R38) program. She is the Director of Research Training for the Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology. For the last 12 years, Dr. Xanthakis has focused her research on:
A) the epidemiology of cardiac remodeling and subclinical disease, including identifying cardiovascular disease risk factors;
B) population-based vascular testing and echocardiography, including identifying biological, environmental, and genetic determinants (correlates) of cardiac structure and function;
C) epidemiology of novel biomarkers including but not limited to natriuretic peptides, adipokines, and vascular growth factors;
D) cardiovascular risk prediction using biomarkers and assessing their incremental prognostic utility (focus of her PhD thesis);
E) epidemiology of heart failure and its precursors; and
F) ideal cardiovascular health and its impact on cardiovascular disease and its precursors.
Education
Biostatistics, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health
Applied Mathematics, MS, University of Athens
Applied Mathematics, BS, University of Athens
Publications
Zhang Y, Xia M, Zhou H, Zhou M, Fang M, Reynolds K, Allen NB, Gauen A, Petito LC, Xanthakis V, Safford M, Colantonio LD, Rana JS, Bellows BK, Moran AE, An J. Comparison of Short- and Long-Term Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Tools in US Young Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Sep 16; 14(18):e042392. PMID: 40913264.
Published on 8/23/2025Jha M, Dong Z, Ruda MM, Prescott B, Xanthakis V, Nayor M, Gajjar P, Larson MG, Benjamin EJ, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF, Tsao CW. Associations of cardiovascular health with arterial health in adults free of cardiovascular disease. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2025 Sep; 23:101083. PMID: 40918934.
Published on 8/21/2025Nessen EJ, Xanthakis V, Gopal DM, Fetterman JL, Roberts LM, Moreira-Bouchard JD. Depression, anxiety, stress, and resting blood pressure between cisgender queer and heterosexual emerging adults. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2025 Sep 01; 329(3):H724-H729. PMID: 40839380.
Published on 7/14/2025Carbonneau M, Li Y, Qu Y, Zheng Y, Wood AC, Wang M, Liu C, Huan T, Joehanes R, Guo X, Yao J, Taylor KD, Tracy RP, Durda P, Liu Y, Johnson WC, Post WS, Blackwell T, Rotter JI, Rich SS, Redline S, Fornage M, Wang J, Ning H, Hou L, Lloyd-Jones D, Ferrier K, Min YI, Carson AP, Raffield LM, Teumer A, Grabe HJ, Völzke H, Nauck M, Dörr M, Domingo-Relloso A, Fretts A, Tellez-Plaza M, Cole SA, Navas-Acien A, Wang M, Murabito JM, Heard-Costa NL, Prescott B, Xanthakis V, Mozaffarian D, Levy D, Ma J. DNA Methylation Signatures of Cardiovascular Health Provide Insights Into Diseases. Circulation. 2025 Aug 19; 152(7):436-449. PMID: 40654086.
Published on 7/14/2025An J, Fischer H, Ni L, Xia M, Choi SK, Morrissette KL, Wei R, Reynolds K, Muntner P, Colantonio LD, Moran AE, Bellows BK, Safford MM, Allen NB, Xanthakis V, Isasi CR, Gallo LC, Perreira KM, Zhang Y. Development and Validation of an Incident Hypertension Risk Prediction Model for Young Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Jul 15; 14(14):e040769. PMID: 40654225.
Published on 7/1/2025Cooper LL, Prescott BR, Xanthakis V, Rong J, Larson MG, Benjamin EJ, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS, Mitchell GF. Interrelations of aortic spring function, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and left ventricular diastolic function: The Framingham Heart Study. medRxiv. 2025 Jul 01. PMID: 40630593.
Published on 7/1/2025Ogungbe O, Wang T, Balte PP, Slone SE, Meyer D, Allen NB, Buhr RG, Hirsch JA, Hinckley Stukovsky K, Kucharska-Newton A, Gabriel KP, Regan EA, Xanthakis V, Isasi CR, Talavera G, Daviglus M, Perreira KM, Sims M, Contreras JG, Kandula NR, Lee JS, Howard VJ, Judd SE, Woodruff P, Ortega VE, Fretts AM, Wenzel SE, Phipatanakul W, Putcha N, Hansel N, Oelsner E, Post WS. Self-Reported Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jul 01; 8(7):e2520360. PMID: 40668582.
Published on 7/1/2025Balte PP, Kim JS, Sun Y, Allen N, Angelini E, Arynchyn A, Barr RG, Blaha M, Bowler R, Carr J, Cole SA, Couper D, Demmer RT, Doyle M, Elkind M, San José Estépar R, Garcia-Bedoya O, Garudadri S, Hansel NN, Hermann EA, Hoffman EA, Humphries SM, Hunninghake GM, Kaplan R, Krishnan JA, Laine A, Lee JS, Lynch DA, Make B, Matsushita K, McKleroy W, Min YI, Naik SN, O'Connor G, O'Driscoll O, Oren E, Podolanczuk AJ, Post WS, Pottinger T, Regan E, Rusk A, Salvatore M, Schwartz DA, Smith B, Sotres-Alvarez D, Umans JG, Vasan RS, Washko G, Wenzel S, Woodruff P, Xanthakis V, Ortega VE, Oelsner EC. Associations of Prepandemic Lung Function and Structure with COVID-19 Outcomes: The C4R Study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2025 Jul; 211(7):1196-1210. PMID: 40238945.
Published on 5/31/2025Toro C, Daniels AS, Prescott B, Xanthakis V, Nayor M, Gajjar P, Benjamin EJ, Preis SR. Association of life's essential 8 score with incidence of atrial fibrillation: The Framingham heart study. Am J Prev Cardiol. 2025 Sep; 23:101018. PMID: 40585337.
Published on 3/20/2025Demmer RT, Wu C, Kim JS, Sun Y, Balte P, Cushman M, Boyle R, Tracy RP, Styer LM, Bell TD, Anderson MR, Allen NB, Schreiner PJ, Bowler R, Schwartz DA, Lee JS, Xanthakis V, Rock JM, Bievenue R, Pirzada A, Doyle M, Regan EA, Make BJ, Kanaya AM, Kandula NR, Wenzel SE, Coresh J, Isasi CR, Raffield LM, Elkind MSV, Howard VJ, Ortega VE, Woodruff P, Cole SA, Henderson JM, Mantis NJ, Oelsner EC. Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Nucleocapsid Antibody Response Among Previously Infected US Adults: The C4R Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2025 Mar; 12(3):ofaf123. PMID: 40124199.
Media Mentions
Published on 6/9/2021
AHA News: Overcoming Midlife Barriers to Exercise and Better Health
Published on 6/9/2021
AHA News: Overcoming Midlife Barriers to Exercise and Better Health
Published on 4/3/2021
Healthy diet, exercise might be key to achieving optimal health in later years
Published on 4/2/2021
Exercise, Healthy Diet in Midlife May Prevent Serious Health Conditions in Senior Years
Published on 4/1/2021
Exercise, healthy diet in midlife may help in senior years • Vanessa Xanthakis, PhD, medicine
Published on 4/1/2021
Research shows how midlife diet, exercise can help in older adulthood
Published on 3/31/2021
Healthy Living in Middle Age Really Pays Off in Senior Years
Published on 3/5/2021
Study: Plant-Based Diets Improve Cardiac Function, Cognitive Health
Published on 3/5/2021
Plant-based diet high in certain foods protects brain and heart
Published on 2/26/2021
View full list of 14 media mentions.