Christopher Hearon

Dr. Christopher Hearon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Clinical Research and the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His research focuses on cardiovascular physiology, particularly mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction in obesity, hypertension, and heart failure. He investigates oxygen transport adaptations in extreme environments like high altitude and spaceflight, as well as sympathetic nervous system regulation during exercise.

Key contributions include studies on exercise intolerance in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the role of adipose tissue in cardiac dysfunction, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation. He has received NIH funding for his work on vascular mechanisms in metabolic cardiovascular diseases.

• Awarded National Research Service Award (2017-2020)
• Recipient of NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2020)

His research spans interventional studies in clinical populations, physiological mechanisms in extreme environments, and translational approaches to cardiac rehabilitation. Current projects examine novel therapeutic targets for HFpEF and the impact of aging on vascular reactivity.