About Mingyu Zhang
Mingyu Zhang, PhD, MHS, FAHA, is an epidemiologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, based in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. His research examines how environmental and nutritional factors influence cardiometabolic health across the life course, including blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and related outcomes in pregnant individuals and their children.
Dr. Zhang leads NIH-, American Heart Association-, and American Diabetes Association-funded research using prospective cohorts including the Boston Birth Cohort, Project Viva, and the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. His work integrates epidemiologic methods, longitudinal data, metabolomics, proteomics, and mixture analyses to identify modifiable risks and inform prevention.
Research focus
- Environmental and nutritional factors across the life course. Air pollution, toxic metals, PFAS, ambient temperature, diet, and nutrients during pregnancy, childhood, and adulthood.
- Cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health. Blood pressure, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic pathways.
- Environmental health equity. Social and structural conditions that shape unequal exposure burdens and cardiometabolic disparities.
