Rajagopalan, Sanjay, MD

Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan is an esteemed physician-scientist and authority on cardiovascular medicine, environmental health, and innovative care delivery.

Dr. Rajagopalan is internationally recognized for pioneering research on the impact of environmental exposures—such as air pollution and climate change—on cardiovascular health.

His studies have influenced national and international guidelines, highlighting air pollution as a major preventable risk factor for heart disease. He has led high-impact translational studies in the US and globally, focusing on systems biology, artificial intelligence, and the exposome.

Dr. Rajagopalan has also contributed to clinical practice as a leader in public health and prevention, including launching a free coronary artery calcium screening program and multidisciplinary disease management initiatives for cardiometabolic health. He is also the founding director of centers for advanced heart and vascular care and novel approaches in vascular-metabolic disease.

Dr. Rajagopalan has authored over 250 original peer-reviewed publications in top journals including JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, and Circulation, and has edited textbooks and monographs on vascular disease and atherosclerosis.

Major Projects & Funding

• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Funding – Collaborator on Pericoronary fat: MACE risk from non-contrast CT and the role of iodine perfusion in contrast CT
• NIH-Funded Research – Collaborator on Targets and targeting of immunometabolism in chronic PM2.5 exposure
• NIH-Funded Research – Collaborator on Cardiovascular risk from comprehensive evaluation of the CT calcium score exam
• NIH-Funded Research – Principal Investigator on Addressing Cardiometabolic Health In Populations Through Early Prevention in the Great Lakes Region

HONORS & RECOGNITION

• Elected member: American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), American Association of Physicians (AAP), Association of University Cardiologists (AUC), Association of Professors of Cardiology (APC) (President, 2027)
• Recipient: American College of Cardiology’s Distinguished Scientist Award, William F. Keating Award, Charles A. Dana Foundation Scholarship, Best Doctors in America