Carmen R. Isasi

Carmen R. Isasi, Ph.D., M.D. is a distinguished researcher and faculty member in the Department of Epidemiology & Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. With over 300 publications and an h-index of 48, she has established herself as a leading expert in Hispanic/Latino health research. Her work primarily focuses on the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of Hispanic health in the United States.

Dr. Isasi's research interests span multiple critical areas of population health, with particular emphasis on diabetes epidemiology, cardiometabolic health, and social determinants of health in Hispanic communities. Her work integrates epigenetics, environmental exposures, and health disparities research to understand the complex factors influencing health outcomes in Latino populations. She has made significant contributions to understanding how adverse childhood experiences, social stressors, and cultural factors impact long-term health trajectories.

Her recent publication trends reveal a sophisticated interdisciplinary approach, combining epigenetic analyses, neuroimaging, metabolic profiling, and community-based participatory research methods. The SOL (Study of Latinos) initiative serves as the backbone for much of her work, providing rich longitudinal data on over 16,000 Hispanic adults across four major U.S. communities. Her research portfolio demonstrates consistent growth, with 37 publications in 2024 and 25 already in 2025, reflecting her ongoing productivity and scientific impact.

Dr. Isasi currently leads multiple NIH-funded research projects:

• Metabolic, behavioral and social determinants of youth-onset T2D (NIDDK, 2023-2029) as Principal Investigator
• Social Stress, Epigenetics and Cardiometabolic Health Among Youth (NIMHD, 2021-2026) as Co-Principal Investigator
• Nasal epithelial epigenomics and transcriptomics and asthma in Hispanic adults (NHLBI, 2021-2026) as Co-Principal Investigator
• Purposeful Outreach for Diversity and Inclusion of Underrepresented in Medicine (PODIUM) (NHLBI, 2024-2026) as Co-Principal Investigator

These projects collectively represent millions of dollars in research funding and demonstrate her leadership in addressing critical health disparities affecting Hispanic communities through innovative methodological approaches. Her work bridges clinical medicine, population science, and molecular epidemiology to develop a comprehensive understanding of health determinants in underserved populations.