FACULTY, GEORGIA PREVENTION INSTITUTE
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Research Interests
As a genetic epidemiologist, my major areas of interest and research are mental and cardiovascular health, the underlying genetic/epigenetic mechanisms, and psychosocial determinants of chronic diseases. My most recent research focuses on the risk factors in early life, including physiological factors (e.g. excessive adiposity and elevated blood pressure in children) and psychosocial factors (e.g. adverse childhood experiences), and their effects on mental, vascular, and cognition health in adulthood, as well as aging health.
Training & Education
Postdoctoral
Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 2009
Cardiology
PhD
Fu Wai Hospital & Cardiovascular Institute
Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 2005
Genetic Epidemiology
BS
Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 2005
Computer Science
Projects
1R01MD013307 (S. Su/ F. Treiber)
August 2019 through May 2025
NIH/NIMHD $2,987,927
Role: Principal Investigator
This project aims to find how epigenetic mediates the effect of chronic stress on the risk of essential hypertension and its related racial disparity.
1R01HL143440-01A1 (S. Su / J. McDowell)
June 2019 through April 2024
NIH/NHLBI $2,845,194
Role: Principal Investigator
This project will examine the impact of elevated BP during early life on brain health in midlife. It will aid in the identification of key factors, timing and subpopulation to target for developing novel prevention and intervention strategies at an early stage that could slow the progression of aging process in vasculature and brain, eventually averting accelerated cognitive decline in late life.
1R01HL125577-01 (S. Su)
May 2015 through April 2020
NIH/NHLBI $379,583
Role: Principal Investigator
The major objective is to identify ELS-related DNA methylation modifications in early young adulthood and to examine their varies and impacts on cardiovascular health over time.
Honors & Awards
2007
AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship
2008
Postdoctoral Research Symposium Best Poster Award, Emory University
2008
Postdoctoral Merit Award, Emory University
2009
Finalist for the Jeremiah and Rose Stamler Research Award for New Investigators, 49th
Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Annual Conference, American Heart
Association
2009
AHA SDG Award
2012
Outstanding Young Basic Science Faculty Award, Georgia Health Sciences University
2013
Recipient of the Scott Grundy Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research, Cardiovascular
Disease Epidemiology and Prevention / Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism
2013 Scientific Sessions, American Heart Association
2022
Distinguished Faculy Award, Ðǿմ«Ã½ Medical College of Georgia
Select Publications
Su S, Miller AH, Snieder H, Bremner JD, Ritchie J, Maisano C, Jones L, Murrah NV, Goldberg J, Vaccarino V. Common genetic contributions to depressive symptoms and inflammatory markers in middle-aged men: the Twins Heart Study. Psychosom Med. 2009 Feb;71(2):152-8.
Su S, Zhao J, Bremner JD, Miller AH, Bouzyk M, Tang W, Snieder H, Goldberg J, Vaccarino V. Serotonin transporter gene, depressive symptoms and interleukin-6. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2009 Dec;2(6):614-20.
Su S, Zhu H, Xu X, Wang X, Dong Y, Kapuku G, Treiber F, Gutin B, Harshfield G, Snieder H, Wang X. DNA methylation of the LY86 gene is associated with obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2014 Jun;17(3):183-91.
Su S, Wang X, Kapuku G, Treiber F, Pollock DM, Harshfield GA, McCall WV, Pollock JS. Adverse Childhood Experiences are Associated with Detrimental Hemodynamics and Elevated Circulating Endothelin-1 in Adolescents and Young Adults. Hypertension. 2014 Jul;64(1):201-7.
Su S, Wang X, Pollock JS, Treiber F, Xu X, Snieder H, McCall WV, Stefanek M, Harshfield GA. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Blood Pressure Trajectories from Childhood to Young Adulthood: The Georgia Stress and Heart Study. Circulation. 2015 May 12;131(19): 1674-81.
Hao G, Wang X, Treiber FA, Harshfield G, Kapuku G, Su S. Blood Pressure Trajectories From Childhood to Young Adulthood Associated With Cardiovascular Risk: Results From the 23-Year Longitudinal Georgia Stress and Heart Study. Hypertension. 2017 Mar;69(3):435-442.
Hao G, Youssef NA, Davis CL, Su S. The role of DNA methylation in the association between childhood adversity and cardiometabolic disease. Int J Cardiol. 2018 Mar 15;255:168-174.
Su S, Li X, Xu Y, McCall WV, Wang X. Epidemiology of accelerometer-based sleep parameters in US school-aged children and adults: NHANES 2011-2014. Sci Rep. 2022 May 10;12(1):7680.
Xu Y, Wang X, Belsky DW, McCall WV, Liu Y, Su S. Blunted rest-activity circadian rhythm is associated with increased rate of biological aging: an analysis of NHANES 2011-2014. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023 Mar 1;78(3):407-413.
Su S, Lewis TT, Belsky DW, Liu Y, Zhang K, Snieder H, Wang X. Impact of Psychosocial Stress in Early Life on Pace of Aging in Young Adulthood. Clin Epigenetics. 2025 Nov 10;17(1):186.
Campus (HS-1721)
1120 15th Street, Ðǿմ«Ã½, GA 30912
706-721-6295 706-721-7150
ssu@augusta.edu