Gneisha Dinwiddie Investigates Links Between Race, Lifelong Stress, and Cardiovascular Disease

Gneisha Dinwiddie, a social epidemiologist and Associate Professor in the African American Studies Department, studies how social and economic conditions can cause high levels of chronic stress among racial and ethnic minorities, increasing people’s vulnerability to disease. Over the life course, stress induced by the social environment causes elevated levels of inflammation and contributes to a higher likelihood of cardiovascular problems like stroke and myocardial infarction among racial and ethnic minorities.

African Americans and Latinos have different histories in the US, but both groups face significantly greater lifelong stressors as compared to white non-Hispanics and also suffer higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Dinwiddie hypothesizes that racial disparities in cardiovascular health are related to individuals suffering from chronic stress without having the resources to circumvent that stress. Social, psychological, and behavioral components also come into play. Dr.  Dinwiddie’s goal is to improve understanding of the social, psychological, and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to racial and ethnic differences in subclinical levels of inflammation that are a predictor of cardiac disease.

Dr. Dinwiddie’s work is funded through a Dean’s Grant from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and a loan repayment grant through the National Institutes of Health.