Hanzhang Xu

My research and scholarship center around social determinants of health and disparities in health care and outcomes in diverse older adult populations, with a particular focus on cardiovascular and brain health. My current program of research falls under two themes: (i) the analysis of health disparities in a multinational context, with a particular focus on the cognitive function among older adults; and (ii) the integration of patient-reported social factors in cardiovascular outcome research. I have led several research projects funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and American Heart Association (AHA) that leverage the strengths of big data repositories such as electronic health records (EHR), Medicare claims, and national survey data to improve the cardiovascular and brain health of older adults through a lens of equity.

Areas of Expertise:

Global Health; Social Determinants of Health; Cardiovascular Disease; Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias; and Population Aging