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
Mitchell GF, Rong J, Larson MG, Korzinski TJ, Xanthakis V, Sigurdsson S, Gudnason V, Launer LJ, Aspelund T, Hamburg NM, Gotal JD, Vasan RS. Vascular Age Assessed From an Uncalibrated, Noninvasive Pressure Waveform by Using a Deep Learning Approach: The AI-VascularAge Model. Hypertension. 2023 Oct 30. PMID: 37901957.
Published on 10/10/2023Mi MY, Gajjar P, Walker ME, Miller P, Xanthakis V, Murthy VL, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Shah RV, Lewis GD, Nayor M. Association of healthy dietary patterns and cardiorespiratory fitness in the community. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2023 Oct 10; 30(14):1450-1461. PMID: 37164358.
Published on 8/24/2023Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Lin J, Pan S, Song RJ, Xue X, Spartano NL, Xanthakis V, Sotres-Alvarez D, Marquez DX, Daviglus M, Carlson JA, Parada H, Evenson KR, Talavera AC, Gellman M, Perreira KM, Gallo LC, Vasan RS, Kaplan RC. Characterizing longitudinal change in accelerometry-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the Framingham Heart Study. BMC Public Health. 2023 Aug 24; 23(1):1614. PMID: 37620824.
Published on 6/15/2023Mitchell GF, Rong J, Larson MG, Cooper LL, Xanthakis V, Benjamin EJ, Hamburg NM, Vasan RS. Longitudinal Hemodynamic Correlates of and Sex Differences in the Evolution of Blood Pressure Across the Adult Lifespan: The Framingham Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Jun 20; 12(12):e027329. PMID: 37318016.
Published on 6/10/2023Li Y, Gray A, Xue L, Farb MG, Ayalon N, Andersson C, Ko D, Benjamin EJ, Levy D, Vasan RS, Larson MG, Rong J, Xanthakis V, Liu C, Fetterman JL, Gopal DM. Metabolomic Profiles, Ideal Cardiovascular Health, and Risk of Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation: Insights From the Framingham Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Jun 20; 12(12):e028022. PMID: 37301766.
Published on 4/8/2023Lin H, Kwan AC, Castro-Diehl C, Short MI, Xanthakis V, Yola IM, Salto G, Mitchell GF, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Cheng S. Sex-specific differences in the genetic and environmental effects on cardiac phenotypic variation assessed by echocardiography. Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 08; 13(1):5786. PMID: 37031215.
Published on 2/10/2023Mi MY, Gajjar P, Walker ME, Miller P, Xanthakis V, Murthy VL, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Shah RV, Lewis GD, Nayor M. Association of Healthy Dietary Patterns and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in the Community. medRxiv. 2023 Feb 10. PMID: 36798343.
Published on 11/4/2022Liu X, Pan S, Xanthakis V, Vasan RS, Psaty BM, Austin TR, Newman AB, Sanders JL, Wu C, Tracy RP, Gerszten RE, Odden MC. Plasma proteomic signature of decline in gait speed and grip strength. Aging Cell. 2022 Dec; 21(12):e13736. PMID: 36333824.
Published on 10/28/2022Kwan A, Demosthenes E, Salto G, Ouyang D, Nguyen T, Nwabuo CC, Luong E, Hoang A, Osypiuk E, Stantchev P, Kim EH, Hiremath P, Li D, Vasan R, Xanthakis V, Cheng S. Cardiac microstructural alterations measured by echocardiography identify sex-specific risk for heart failure. Heart. 2022 Oct 28; 108(22):1800-1806. PMID: 35680379.
Published on 10/3/2022Hermann EA, Lee B, Balte PP, Xanthakis V, Kirkpatrick BD, Cushman M, Oelsner E. Association of Symptoms After COVID-19 Vaccination With Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response in the Framingham Heart Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Oct 03; 5(10):e2237908. PMID: 36269359.
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
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
Published on 2/26/2021
Research Suggests This Pair Of Superfood Families May Support Improved Heart & Brain Health
View full list of 13 media mentions.