Allana T. Forde, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA

Stadtman Investigator

Epidemiology and Genetics Branch

NIMHD

Building 3, Room 5W23
3 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20814

301-480-3158

allana.forde@nih.gov

Research Topics

Motivated by the stark disparities in health, Dr. Forde's research focuses on stressors that are experienced by different populations and the impact that these stressors have on health and health disparities across the life course. She is particularly interested in examining how stressors contribute to cardiovascular risk, morbidity, and mortality. Her research explores the heterogeneity within and between groups to identify protective and adaptive factors that may explain why certain groups do not develop adverse health outcomes arising from stress. An extension of her research includes exploring the psychological, behavioral, and biological mechanisms through which stressors impact cardiovascular outcomes. Dr. Forde hopes to translate her research findings into appropriate interventions or strategies that aim to improve health and minimize health disparities.

Biography

Allana T. Forde, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAHA, is a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator in the Division of Intramural Research of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). She received her BA in Child Development and Community Health from Tufts University, MPH in Epidemiology from George Washington University, and PhD in Epidemiology from Columbia University. She is also an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA).

Selected Publications

  1. Forde AT, Sims M, Muntner P, Lewis T, Onwuka A, Moore K, Diez Roux AV. Discrimination and Hypertension Risk Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. Hypertension. 2020;76(3):715-723.
  2. Forde AT, Lewis TT, Kershaw KN, Bellamy SL, Diez Roux AV. Perceived Discrimination and Hypertension Risk Among Participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10(5):e019541.
  3. Aronoff JE, Quinn EB, Forde AT, Glover LM, Reiner A, McDade TW, Sims M. Associations between perceived discrimination and immune cell composition in the Jackson Heart Study. Brain Behav Immun. 2022;103:28-36.
  4. Fernandez JR, Montiel Ishino FA, Williams F, Slopen N, Forde AT. Hypertension and Diabetes Status by Patterns of Stress in Older Adults From the US Health and Retirement Study: A Latent Class Analysis. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(12):e024594.
  5. Lawrence WR, Jones GS, Johnson JA, Ferrell KP, Johnson JN, Shiels MS, Diez Roux AV, Forde AT. Discrimination Experiences and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2023;16(4):e009697.

Related Scientific Focus Areas

This page was last updated on Monday, April 28, 2025