The Magnani Lab focuses on social determinants of health and cardiovascular disease and outcomes. There is tremendous evidence that social factors significantly influence health care access and outcomes. Identifying social determinants of health can provide avenues for community-based interventions and insight regarding the etiologies for disparities. To this end, our lab's principal research agenda consists in (1) identification of the intersection of social determinants (household income and composition; educational attainment; health literacy) with health-related risk factors and outcomes; and (2) development of strategic interventions to reduce or address cardiovascular risk in disadvantaged individuals. We have two on-going clinical trials which provide patient-centered interventions to patients with chronic cardiovascular disease, specifically atrial fibrillation. Our projects enroll rural and metropolitan individuals who face the multiple disadvantages of geographic isolation and limited social resources. Our team has further continued extensive health services research using administrative data. Dr. Magnani maintains active involvement in the American Heart Association (AHA), having chaired the writing group on health literacy and cardiovascular disease and serving as member of the EPI Statistics Committee and the Social Determinants Committee.
- AB, Columbia University, 1991
- MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2002
- MSc, Boston University School of Public Health, 2012
- Residency, Categorical Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2005
- Fellowship, Cardiology, Boston University Medical Center, 2009
- Clinical Research Fellowship, Framingham Heart Study, 2010
Education & Training
Johnson A, Nair P, Behara D, Aranda-Hernadez A, Bey J, Harrington CN, Miller E, Peek ME, Kitsiou S, Magnani JW. Involving End Users in Co-Designing Mobile Health Interventions for Hypertension Self-Management: Formative Study. JMIR Form Res. 2026 Jan 21;10:e77631. PMID: 41564295.
Garfein J, Sekikawa A, Mrkva A, Dalmacy D, Berry JD, Tiruneh YM, Magnani JW. Educational Attainment and the Effect of Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction: A Post Hoc Analysis of the SPRINT Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 Jun
3;14(11):e037712. PMID: 40396422.
Ionescu R, Allen LA, Breathett K, Fowler BK, Jackson EA, Kundrick J, Ogunniyi MO, Magnani JW. Health Literacy in Heart Failure: A Review of the Gaps and Challenges. JACC Adv. 2025 Mar;4(3):101608. PMID: 39951936.
Countouris ME, Shapero KS, Swabe G, Hauspurg A, Davis EM, Magnani JW. Association of Race and Ethnicity and Social Factors With Postpartum Primary Care or Cardiology Follow-Up Visits Among Individuals With Preeclampsia. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Aug 20;13(16):e033188. PMID: 39109511.
Mann HK, Streiff M, Schultz KC, Halpern DV, Ferry D, Johnson AE, Magnani JW. Rurality and Atrial Fibrillation: Patient Perceptions of Barriers and Facilitators to Care. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Nov 7;12(21):e031152. PMID: 37889198.
Johnson AE, Zhu J, Garrard W, Thoma FW, Mulukutla S, Kershaw KN, Magnani JW. Area Deprivation Index and Cardiac Readmissions: Evaluating Risk-Prediction in an Electronic Health Record. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Jul 6;10(13):e020466. PMID: 34212757.
Essien UR, Kornej J, Johnson AE, Schulson LB, Benjamin EJ, Magnani JW. Social determinants of atrial fibrillation. Nature Reviews Cardiology. 2021; DOI:10.1038/s41569-021-00561-0.
Rhinehart ZJ, Kinnee E, Essien UR, Saul M, Guhl E, Clougherty JE, Magnani JW. Association of fine particulate matter and risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. JAMA Network Open. 2020; 3(9): e2011760.
LaRosa AR, Claxton J, O'Neal WT, Lutsey PL, Chen LY, Bengtson L, Chamberlain AM, Alonso A, Magnani JW. Association of household income and adverse outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Heart. 2020; 106(21): 1679-1685.
Magnani JW, Kinloch V, Essien UR. Separate and unequal: the cost of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on childhood health and well-being. Health Equity. 2021; 5(1): 72-75.
Magnani JW, Mujahid MS, Aronow HD, Cene CW, Dickson VV, Havranek E, Morganstern LB, Paasche-Orlow MK, Pollak A, Willey JZ. Health literacy and cardiovascular disease: fundamental relevance to primary and secondary prevention: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018; 138(2): e48-e74.
- Boston University Dept of Medicine Junior Faculty Mentor Award, 2015
- Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Development Award, 2015
- Particulate Matter and Atrial Fibrillation, University of Pittsburgh CTSI Pilot, 2017
- American Heart Journal (AHJ), Editorial Board; AHJ Plus, Associate Editor, 2018
- American Heart Association, Social Determinants Committee, 2019
- Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Study Section, 2020-21
- American Heart Association, EPI Statistics Committee, 2021
K24 HL160527, Mentoring in patient-oriented research in social determinants and atrial fibrillation, PI, 2022-2027.
R01 HL160749, Multilevel mobile health program to improve rural hypertension, PI, 2022-2027.
U01 HL146208, University of Pittsburgh MACS-WIHS CCS, Co-Investigator, 2019-2026.
