I am preventive cardiologist and cardiovascular epidemiologist trained in Barcelona (Spain) and Johns Hopkins (Baltimore [MD], USA). My research interests focus on 2 complementary approaches to the prevention of cardiovascular disease: 1) interventions at the population level, with a special focus on the identification of vulnerable populations, minorities, and other groups at increased risk of cardiovascular disease; and 2) interventions at the individual level, using cardiac imaging and other novel biomarkers to inform a most precise cardiovascular risk management. My interest in South Asian cardiovascular health stems from my early clinical and research experiences with the local South Asian community in Barcelona. My work in this space since 2013 has contributed to increase awareness on the high burden of diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease (CHD) among South Asians living in Southern Europe, particularly Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, and my findings are currently being used by the local health authorities to inform tailored public health interventions. South Asians in the US are also at higher CHD risk than the general population, and there is a lack of SA-specific risk assessment tools for this group in the US. I look forward to contributing to fill these research gaps and have collaborated with the MASALA investigators since 2016.
