Dr. Vasan S. Ramachandran is a distinguished cardiovascular scientist who currently serves as the Founding Dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio and holds the Frank Harrison, MD, PhD Distinguished Chair in Public Health. A board-certified cardiologist with specialized training in echocardiography, he has built an exceptional career bridging clinical medicine with population health research. Previously, Dr. Ramachandran served as Chief of the Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology and Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, where he maintained a distinguished affiliation since 1998. His tenure as Principal Investigator of the Framingham Heart Study from 2014 to 2022 solidified his position as a leading authority in cardiovascular epidemiology, continuing a legacy that began with his initial involvement as a research fellow in 1993.
Dr. Ramachandran's research has transformed our understanding of cardiovascular disease epidemiology, particularly in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, ventricular-vascular remodeling, and rural health disparities. His leadership of the Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal Study has revealed critical health outcome gaps between rural and urban populations, documenting dramatic life expectancy differences across short geographical distances in the southeastern United States. With over 900 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 177,000 citations, his methodological innovations in population-based vascular testing, echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing have been widely adopted by researchers worldwide. His work has significantly influenced clinical practice guidelines and public health approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention across diverse populations.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Ramachandran has profoundly impacted the scientific community through mentorship and leadership, supervising over 75 trainees with remarkable diversity including approximately 40% women and 25% non-White trainees. His editorial stewardship as Associate Editor of Circulation from 2002 to 2016 and founding Editor-in-Chief of Circulation Cardiovascular Genetics from 2008 to 2018 shaped scholarly discourse in cardiovascular medicine. Recognized with the prestigious AHA Population Science Award in 2014 and the AHA Distinguished Scientist Award in 2021, he continues to advance innovative research on rural health disparities while building academic infrastructure to address pressing public health challenges in underserved communities as Founding Dean of the UT School of Public Health San Antonio.
