Heffernan, Kevin S. (ksh2001)

Kevin Heffernan, Ph.D., FACSM

Associate Professor of Movement Science and Education
Director, Applied Neurovascular Physiology Lab

Office Location:

Building 528

Educational Background

B.S., Exercise Science, The University of Scranton

M.S., Applied (Exercise) Physiology and Nutrition, Teachers College, Columbia University

Ph.D., Kinesiology (Exercise Physiology), The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center

Adjunct Research Scientist,  Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

Scholarly Interests

Exercise, Vascular Aging, Neurocognitive Aging, Health Disparities

Selected Publications

Budak M, Heffernan KS, Paruzel V, Moallemian S, Fausto BA, Ashton N, Zetterberg H, Elahi FM, Gluck MA. Vascular stiffness predicts plasma markers of neurodegeneration among older African Americans. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, In Press.

Patrick Z, Mann R, Hillman CH, Jung M, Hayes SM, Miller SE, Undorf M, Heffernan K, Loprinzi P. The moderating effects of individual differences in baseline episodic memory on acute exercise benefits in memory. Memory & Cognition, In Press.

Heffernan KS, Townsend RR.  The rise and fall of blood pressure and cognitive function: implications for sex differences in brain health. American Journal of Hypertension, 2026 Feb;39(2):202-4.

Sous W, Sharma A, Shaw AV, Heckel AR, Heffernan KS, Mutambudzi M. A Pilot Study Exploring Biobehavioral, Psychosocial, and Demographic Factors Associated With Central Blood Pressure in Resettled Refugees in Syracuse, New York. American Journal of Human Biology. 2025 Dec;37(12):e70174.

Heffernan KS, Barnes JN,  London AS, Monroe DC, Stern Y, Sloan RP, Schaefer SM. Association of low-frequency oscillations in blood pressure variability and brain age derived from neuroimaging. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2025 Oct;21(10):e70833. 

Heffernan KS, Monroe DC, London AS, Gutierrez J, Brickman AM, Nair AK, Adluru N, Schaefer SM. High Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity is Associated with Lower Brain White Matter Microstructural Integrity 12 Years Later. Neurobiology of Aging, 2025; 156:1-9.  (DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.07.015)

 

The American College of Sports Medicine

North American Artery Society

Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM)

Member of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)

BBSR 4095 Applied Physiology I

BBSR 5094 Applied Physiology II

BBSR 5195 Advanced Applied Physiology Lab

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