Angela G. Fowler-Brown, MD, MPH

Research Concentrations

fowler

  • Obesity 
  • Cardiovascular Health 
  • Social & Economic Disparities

Contact Information

Email: afowler@bidmc.harvard.edu

Professional Biography

View Dr. Fowler-Brown's publication history at PubMed Author Search 

Dr. Fowler-Brown's overarching research interests are in the study of obesity in adults, with a particular interest in understanding the impact of obesity on various facets of health and well-being. She has conducted studies on the relationship between weight gain and emotional stress in Blacks; the association of obesity with lower likelihood of college degree attainment; and the relationship of body weight with depressive symptoms. Currently, her research interests lie in how obesity impacts older adults, and how these effects might be mitigated to reduce the personal and public health impact of obesity in this population. Dr. Fowler-Brown also serves as an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Current Research

1P30AG028717-01A209 (Lipsitz), Harvard Older Americans Independence Center Grant, 2009-2011 
The overarching aim of this career development award is to explore how obesity and inflammation-related adipokines may play a role in vascular dysfunction leading to functional decline and cognitive impairment in older persons. Dr. Fowler-Brown proposes to use a population-based prospective study of older men and women that will first explore the association of obesity with cognitive decline and impaired physical functioning in older persons. She will then confirm the previously observed association of obesity with cerebrovascular reactivity, an indicator of small vessel vasculopathy in the cerebrovascular bed and with inflammatory adipokines in this population. Finally, she will explore whether impaired cerebrovascular reactivity and serum levels of inflammatory adipokines explain any relationship between obesity and cognitive impairment and with physical dysfunction. 
Role: Co-investigator

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

1. James SA, Fowler-Brown A, Raghunathan TE, Van Hoewyk J. Life-course socioeconomic position and obesity in African American women: The Pitt County Study. Am J Public Health 2006; 96:554-560. 
2. Fowler-Brown A, Corbie-Smith G, Garrett J, Lurie N. Risk of cardiovascular events and death: does insurance matter? J Gen Intern Med 2007;22:502-507. PMCID: PMC1829431 
3. Fowler-Brown AG, Bennett GG, Goodman MS, Wee CC, Corbie-Smith GM, James SA. Psychosocial Stress and 13-year BMI Change Among Blacks: The Pitt County Study. Obesity 2009; 17:2106-2109 PMCID: pending 
4. Fowler-Brown AG, Ngo LH, Phillips RS, Wee CC. Adolescent Obesity and Future College Degree Attainment. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Jun; 18(6): 1235-41 PMCID: pending 
5. Fowler-Brown AG, de Boer IH, Catov JM, Carnethon MR, Kamineni A, Kuller LH, Siscovick DS, Mukamal KJ. Parity and the Association with Diabetes in Older Women. Diabetes Care. 2010 August; 33(8):1778-82. PMCID: PMC2909061