Berks faculty member named International Society for Hypertension Fellow

WYOMISSING, Pa. — Praveen Veerabhadrappa, associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State Berks, has been elected as a Fellow of the International Society for Hypertension. Election as an International Society of Hypertension Fellow recognizes and honors members who have distinguished themselves through excellence in clinical practice or research in the field of hypertension.

Dr. Praveen Veerabhadrappa

Praveen Veerabhadrappa is associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State Berks.

Credit: Penn State

The criteria for fellowship are outstanding contributions in hypertension research, demonstration of national and international service, consistent scholarly production, and a history of mentoring.

Veerabhadrappa, known as “Dr. V.” to his students, is passionate about research, innovation and inspiring the next generation of student leaders to further scientific research. He is the principal supervisor of 25 undergraduate research projects.

His research on the long-term effects of exercise training on cardio-metabolic risk factors, prevalence of masked hypertension, and blood pressure variability has earned international recognition. Currently, his research is focused on incorporating wearable technology and mobile health devices to enhance physical activity and improve overall well-being. His research group is studying the cardio-metabolic effects of sedentary behavior using novel devices such as Actigraph, Fitbit and Apple Watch. He will study best practices for analyzing large-scale health data using machine learning during his forthcoming sabbatical titled "Two Pandemics: COVID19 and physical inactivity" at Penn State’s Clinical and Translational Science institute.

Veerabhadrappa has published 33 manuscripts and more than 75 abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. He is the founding member of the New Investigator Network of the International Society of Hypertension. He has organized and moderated many national and international symposia liaising with the American Heart Association and the European Society of Hypertension and is frequently an invited speaker at international conferences.

Established in 1966, the International Society of Hypertension is committed to promoting and encouraging the advancement of scientific research and knowledge and its application to the prevention and management of heart disease and stroke in hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases around the world. Recognition as an International Society of Hypertension Fellow is open to physicians, scientists, nurses and other health care professionals with a major and productive interest in hypertension.