Jordana Cohen, MD, MSCE
Jordana Cohen, MD, MSCE
Jordana B. Cohen, MD, MSCE is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Senior Scholar in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB) and a Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. Dr. Cohen’s research focuses on hypertension and its far-reaching effects on the kidneys, heart, and brain, with an emphasis on improving blood pressure measurement and management. Her work spans electronic health records, prospective cohort studies, and clinical trials, all aimed at reducing target organ damage and enhancing cardiovascular outcomes.
Dr. Cohen earned her MD from the University of Maryland and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She pursued a fellowship in Nephrology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) from Penn. She currently co-directs the Blood Pressure Measurement Research Lab and leads several NIH-funded studies, including a recent randomized trial evaluating antihypertensive therapies in heart failure.
In this Q&A, Dr. Cohen shares how her lifelong interest in blood pressure began in childhood, how her work addresses the nationwide challenges of hypertension control, and why she finds mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration so meaningful within the DBEI community.
Can you tell us about your current research and what inspired you to pursue this area?
My research focuses on hypertension. There is a complex interconnection between the kidneys, blood vessels, heart, and brain that often comes back to how well and how blood pressure is controlled. I lead and contribute to several clinical and translational studies evaluating mechanisms and effects of blood pressure management and control on target organ damage to the kidneys, heart, and brain. These studies span across the electronic health record, prospective data collection, and interventional trials. My interest in hypertension research started as a young child. My father was a solo-practice primary care physician who often spoke about the frequency and negative impact of poor-quality blood pressure measurement and inappropriate use of antihypertensive medications. I learned how to measure blood pressure around the same time I learned to read. I pursued nephrology training due to a love of the physiology underlying hypertension. Throughout my training, when I saw that the same issues my father had spoken about when I was a young child persisted, I became hooked on trying to help solve them.
How does your work in Informatics intersect with real-world challenges?
Almost half of US adults have hypertension, which increases as people age and/or develop related comorbidities, such as kidney disease and diabetes. We know that lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of progression of kidney disease, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Nonetheless, rates of blood pressure control in the US are abysmal. Blood pressure is often poorly measured and inappropriately managed. The work my team does aims to improve blood pressure measurement and management to overcome many of these issues. Ultimately, we hope to identify targeted therapies that help to reduce the risk of new or worsening target organ damage and optimize tolerance, tailored to the individual.
What do you find most rewarding about working in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics?
What I find most rewarding about working in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania is the opportunity to be deeply engaged in teaching and mentoring the next generation of data science researchers. Contributing to the growth of students and trainees, whether by guiding them through complex methodological challenges or helping them develop their own research identities, is incredibly fulfilling. I also value being part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary community where experts in biostatistics, epidemiology, informatics, and clinical medicine come together. This integration fosters dynamic collaborations and sparks innovative research approaches that I might not have pursued in a more siloed environment. The collegial atmosphere and shared commitment to impactful, data-driven science make it an intellectually stimulating and professionally rewarding place to work.
Can you share a significant recent project, publication, or professional recognition that you are particularly proud of contributing to or achieving?
We completed enrollment for a randomized trial that I lead, BLOCK HFpEF, evaluating the mechanisms of how different antihypertensive therapies impact blood pressure control and exercise tolerance in individuals with a common type of heart disease called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This trial was my first R01, which was funded during the summer of 2020 when in-person study visits were still on lockdown due to COVID-19. The study visits involve detailed cardiac and vascular measurements and could not be performed remotely. I’m very grateful to my study team and collaborators for their contributions and proud that we were able to reach all of our goals for the trial despite several barriers.
What advice would you give to students or early-career professionals in your field?
Find a topic you love and dive deep. Developing expertise and making a lasting impact often comes from sustained focus and curiosity about a specific area. It’s easy to feel pressure to chase trends or cover a broad range of topics, especially early in your career, but depth can be just as valuable as, if not more so than, breadth. When you’re passionate about your work, you’re more motivated to push through challenges, ask better questions, and stay engaged over the long term. That passion also makes it easier to build meaningful collaborations and contribute something unique to the field.
What is an interest or pastime that you enjoy outside of academia?
I enjoy hard science fiction, rock climbing, and mountaineering. I love being outdoors and tackling technical challenges in all four seasons. One of my favorite trips was an impromptu ascent of the Presidential Traverse in New Hampshire. A close friend, who is also a nephrologist and physician-scientist, texted me out of the blue saying the weather window looked perfect and that I had to come join her. I was in the final class of my MSCE program and quietly slipped out just before it ended, sprinted to my car, and drove north to meet her. As it turned out, the forecast wasn’t entirely accurate—we got hailed on at the summit of Mt. Adams—but the adventure was unforgettable and totally worth it.