Christopher Hearon, Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Assistant Professor School School of Health Professions Department Applied Clinical Research Biography Dr. Hearon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Clinical Research and the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He was the recipient of a National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, 2017-2020), and in 2020 received a Pathway to Independence Award (NIH; K99/R00) to investigate the mechanisms of vascular and autonomic dysfunction in patients with obesity and hypertension. Other research interests include the regulation of oxygen transport and utilization in environmental extremes (high altitude, simulated space flight) and clinical conditions (heart failure). Education Graduate School Colorado State University (2024) Research Interest Autonomic physiology Cardiovascular ageing Cardiovascular physiology Environmental extremes (hypoxia, space flight) Heart failure Hypertension Publications Impaired exercise hemodynamic responses in patients with HFpEF without a sympathetic vasoconstrictor reserve Kissell CE, Skow RJ, Wakeham DJ, Washio T, Manferdelli G, Samels M, Fu Q, Haykowsky MJ, Brazile TL, MacNamara JP, Sarma S, Levine BD, Fadel PJ, Hearon CM Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 2025 Aug 260 Functional sympatholysis of neuropeptide Y-mediated vasoconstriction in humans Wakeham DJ, Hissen SL, MacNamara JP, Davis SL, Fadel PJ, Levine BD, Hearon CM Journal of Physiology 2025 Jun 603 3329-3340 Effects of Year Long Aerobic Exercise on Left Atrial Size in Patients With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Kyrouac D, Talbot N, MacNamara J, Howden E, Hieda M, Hearon C, Brazile T, Levine B, Sarma S American Journal of Cardiology 2025 Jun 244 3-8 Endogenous muscarinic acetylcholine receptor signaling blunts a1-adrenergic vasoconstriction during higher-intensity handgrip exercise in humans Terwoord JD, Dinenno FA, Richards JC, Hearon CM American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology 2025 Jun 328 R619-R627 Maintained sympathetic reactivity but blunted pressor response to static handgrip exercise in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction Washio T, Takeda R, Hissen SL, Akins JD, D’Souza AW, Wakeham DJ, Brazile T, Lutz K, Hearon CM, MacNamara JP, Sarma S, Levine BD, Fadel PJ, Fu Q Clinical Autonomic Research 2025 Jun 35 487-500 Heart Failure in Zero Gravity-External Constraint and Cardiac Hemodynamics Macnamara JP, Hearon CM, Manferdelli G, Shah AM, Tayon KG, Pandey A, Sarma S, Levine BD JAMA Cardiology 2025 Jan 10 98-100 Regional changes in cerebral blood flow between the upright and supine posture and over 3 days of bed rest Possnig C, Marume K, Babu G, Janssen SL, Hearon CM, Dias KA, Sarma S, Lawley JS, Levine BD Experimental Physiology 2025 Circumferential strain and strain rates of the descending aorta as novel measures of aortic stiffness and wall mechanics from standard cardiac MRI Wakeham DJ, Zamani SK, Oneglia AP, Howrey MM, Majeed S, Brazile TL, Beckman JA, MacNamara JP, Haykowsky MJ, Zaha VG, Levine BD, Hearon CM, Sarma S, Nelson MD Experimental Physiology 2025 Insights Into the Role of Obesity in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Pathophysiology and Management Hathorn B, Haykowsky MJ, Almandoz J, Pandey A, Sarma S, Hearon CM, Babb TG, Balmain BN, Fu Q, Zaha VG, Levine BD, Nelson MD Canadian Journal of Cardiology 2025 Identifying the Mechanisms of a Peripherally Limited Exercise Phenotype in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Skow RJ, Sarma S, Macnamara JP, Bartlett MF, Wakeham DJ, Martin ZT, Samels M, Nandadeva D, Brazile TL, Ren J, Fu Q, Babb TG, Balmain BN, Nelson MD, Hynan LS, Levine BD, Fadel PJ, Haykowsky MJ, Hearon CM Circulation: Heart Failure 2024 Aug 17 e011693 Results 1-10 of 65 1 2 3 4 5 Next Last Honors & Awards New Investigator Award, Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation Section of the American Physiological Society (2024) Postdoctoral Lecture, American College of Sports Medicine - Texas Chapter (2020) Post-Doctoral Research Award, Environmental & Exercise Physiology Section American Physiological SocietyDeclined in order to accept NCAR Research Recognition Award (2019) Research Recognition Award, Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation Section American Physiological Society (2019) Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award American Physiological Society (2018) NIH Clinical Loan Repayment Program, NIH (NHLBI) (2017-2021) National Doctoral Scholar, American Kinesiology Association (2016) National Graduate Student Writing Award, American Kinesiology Association (2016) Pre-Doctoral Research Award, Environmental & Exercise Physiology Section American Physiological Society (2016) Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Award American Physiological Society (2015) Outstanding Poster Award, Annual Meeting of the Microcirculatory Society (2013) Robert W. Gotshall Graduate Scholarship, College of Health and Human Sciences Colorado State University (2013) Mortar Board Member, Texas Tech University (2010) Undergraduate Scholar of the Year, Texas Chapter of ACSM (2009) Professional Associations/Affiliations American College of Sports Medicine American Heart Association American Physiological Society Wilderness Medical Society
