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Hanzhang Xu

Associate Professor in the School of Nursing
School of Nursing
311 Trent Drive, Ipe 4261, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


My research and scholarship center around social determinants of health and disparities in health care and outcomes in diverse older adult populations, with a particular focus on cardiovascular and brain health. My current program of research falls under two themes: (i) the analysis of health disparities in a multinational context, with a particular focus on the cognitive function and dementia care among older adults; and (ii) the integration of patient-reported social factors in …

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor in the School of Nursing · 2024 - Present School of Nursing
Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health · 2024 - Present Family Medicine and Community Health, Clinical Science Departments
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute · 2020 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published February 14, 2025
Duke and Duke-NUS forge new frontiers in climate health research with S$1million funding
Published November 1, 2024
Faculty, Alumni, Colleagues Inducted as Fellows into American Academy of Nursing
Published September 11, 2024
Enhancing Cognitive Health in Aging Chinese Americans: A Community-Based Approach

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Recent Publications


Longitudinal Associations Between Psychological Resilience and Cognitive Function: Evidence From the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.

Journal Article The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · January 2025 ObjectivesReductions in psychological resilience and declining cognition are common among older adults. Understanding the longitudinal association between them could be beneficial for interventions that focus on age-related cognitive and psycholog ... Full text Cite

Racial and ethnic disparities in longitudinal trajectories of cardiovascular risk factors in U.S. middle-aged and older adults.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2025 BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are well-documented. However, racial and ethnic differences in the longitudinal changes among multiple CVD risk factors are unknown. METHODS: We used prospective cohort ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Poststroke Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Texas - Southwestern · 2024 - 2029

Duke/UNC ADAR Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

A Life Course Approach to Identify Risks of Hospitalization in Older Adults with Heart Failure

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University, School of Nursing · 2018 Ph.D.