Overview
Dr. Nour Makarem is a cardiovascular epidemiologist. Her research sits at the intersection of preventive cardiology, sleep and circadian science, nutrition, and epigenetics. Dr. Makarem's interdisciplinary research program addresses the role of behavioral factors (sleep, diet, and rest-activity patterns) in cardiovascular risk and elucidates sex and ethnic differences in these relations. Her current research evaluates the contribution of sleep to cardiovascular health and cardiovascular disease risk modeling. Dr. Makarem also leads a line of research on the circadian rhythmicity of behavioral factors, which refers to their timing and regularity in the 24-h day and across days, in relation to cardiovascular risk, with a particular interest in out-of-office blood pressure and glycemic profiles. To develop holistic approaches to precision prevention, her work additionally examines the influence of health behaviors on epigenetic mechanisms related to aging that can alter susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. The goal of her research is to improve cardiovascular disease risk prediction and inform precision behavioral interventions to promote cardiovascular health equity, particularly among immigrant populations. Dr. Makarem's research has been funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the American Heart Association.
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- BS, 2007 American University of Beirut
- MS, 2011 McGill University
- PhD, 2016 New York University
- 2020 Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Committees, Societies, Councils
Chair, American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Membership Committee
Member, American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Early Career Committee
Member, American Heart Association Awardee Engagement Program Oversight Advisory Committee
Member, Sleep Research Society Scientific Offerings Committee
Editorial Boards
Journal of the American Heart Association
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Honors & Awards
2022 American Heart Association Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Early Investigator Award
2022 Trudy Bush Award for Cardiovascular Disease Research in Women’s Health
2020 Finalist, American Heart Association Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award
2018 Scholar of the National Institutes of Health Big Data to Knowledge MD2K mHealth Summer Training Institutes
2017 Fellow of the American Heart Association Ten-Day Seminar on the Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Research
Research Interests
- Aging
- Biostatistical Methods
- Chronic disease
- Community Health
- Food Policy and Obesity
- Public Health Education
- Urban Health
Selected Publications
Makarem N, Castro?Diehl C, St?Onge MP, Redline S, Shea S, Lloyd?Jones D, Ning H, Aggarwal B. Redefining Cardiovascular Health to Include Sleep: Prospective Associations With Cardiovascular Disease in the MESA Sleep Study. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2022:e025252.
Makarem N, Alcantara C, Musick S, Quesada O, Sears DD, Chen Z, Tehranifar P. Multidimensional Sleep Health Is Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence and Cardiometabolic Health in US Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(17):10749.
Makarem N, Sears DD, St?Onge MP, Zuraikat FM, Gallo LC, Talavera GA, Castaneda SF, Lai Y, Aggarwal B. Variability in Daily Eating Patterns and Eating Jetlag Are Associated With Worsened Cardiometabolic Risk Profiles in the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2021;10(18):e022024.
Makarem N, Alcantara C, Williams N, Bello NA, Abdalla M. Effect of Sleep Disturbances on Blood Pressure. Hypertension. 2021;77(4):1036-46.
Makarem N, Zuraikat F, Scaccia SE, RoyChoudhury A, St-Onge MP. Sustained Mild Sleep Restriction Increases Blood Pressure in Women: An Update From the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Hypertension. 2021; 77: e50-e52.
Makarem N, Sears DD, St-Onge MP, Zuraikat FM, Gallo LC, Talavera GA, Castaneda SF, Lai Y, Mi J, Aggarwal B. Habitual Nightly Fasting Duration, Eating Timing, and Eating Frequency are Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk in Women. Nutrients. 2020; 12(10): 3043.
Makarem N, St-Onge MP, Liao M, Lloyd-Jones DM, Aggarwal B. Association of Sleep Characteristics with Cardiovascular Health among Women and Differences by Race/Ethnicity and Menopausal Status: Findings from the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Sleep Health. 2019;5(5):501-8.
Makarem N, Shechter A, Carnethon MR, Mullington JM, Hall MH, Abdalla M. Sleep duration and blood pressure: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Current Hypertension Reports. 2019;21(5):33.
Makarem N, Bandera EV, Lin Y, Jacques P, Parekh N. Consumption of Sugars, Sugary Foods and Sugary Beverages in Relation to Adiposity-Related Cancer Risk in the Framingham Offspring Cohort (1991–2013). Cancer Prevention Research. 2018; 11(6): 347-358.
Makarem N, Lin Y, Bandera EV, Jacques PF, Parekh N. Concordance with World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) guidelines for cancer prevention and obesity-related cancer risk in the Framingham Offspring cohort (1991–2008). Cancer Causes & Control. 2015;26(2):277-86.