Bridging Bench to Bedside: Nurse Scientist Dr. Jacquelyn Y. Taylor
Image: Dr. Jacquelyn Taylor presenting the NINR Director’s Lecture (public domain), courtesy of NIH/NINR via Wikimedia Commons.
Advancing Cardiovascular Genomics, Reducing Health Disparities, and Paving the Way for Future Nurse Leaders
“Health outcomes are shaped more by zip code than by genetic code.”
This statement has been echoed by researchers, health care providers, and community leaders alike. It is accepted, almost universally, as a sobering reality of American life. Where a person lives and the environment to which they are exposed, has a disproportionate impact on health outcomes, with some estimates suggesting it accounts for as much as 60 percent of the discrepancies (1).
Most of us are aware of the increased challenges faced in under-resourced communities: limited access to health care, high unemployment, housing instability, and food insecurity, to name just a few. However, as research has advanced, it has become clear that this reality runs much deeper. It is more complex than geography alone and cannot be understood solely by examining a zip code.
This month, as we observe both Black History Month and American Heart Month, we are reminded of the persistent inequities in cardiovascular health in the United States. Black adults experience some of the highest rates of hypertension in the world, with 58.4% of Black women and 57.5% of Black men affected. By comparison, 43% of all women have high blood pressure, and 50.4% of all U.S. adult men (2).
Nurse researcher, PhD, and expert in cardiovascular genomics, Dr. Jacquelyn Y. Taylor, brings the implications of these disparities into sharp focus through her work on gene–environment interactions. As the principal investigator of the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure (InterGEN) study, she led one of the first longitudinal studies to examine how genetic (G) and psychological and environmental (E) factors—and their interaction (G×E)—influence blood pressure in an underrepresented population:
“...aim(ed) to delineate the independent and interaction effects of genomic (genetic and epigenetic) and psychological–environmental (maternally perceived racial discrimination, mental health, and parenting behavior) factors on blood pressure among African American mother–child dyads over time.” (3)
This study used DNA methylation analysis, an epigenetic process in which methyl groups are added to DNA, acting as regulatory “switches” that influence gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, commonly used in genome-wide association studies to identify genetic variants associated with specific traits, were analyzed. Together, these approaches were used to conclude:
“...SNP-discrimination interactions combine to influence clinically relevant traits such as blood pressure. As African Americans in the US experience high levels of both everyday discrimination and major life discrimination and (acute and) chronic experiences with discrimination are consistently linked to high blood pressure and hypertension, it is important for clinicians to be mindful of this SNP-discrimination relationship when working with African American patients. Furthermore, these analyses suggest that more work on SNP-discrimination interactions is required for development and implementation of clinically relevant protocols for the identification and treatment of high blood pressure to address a major health disparity affecting African Americans.” (3)
Dr. Taylor has been a trailblazer in cardiovascular genomics research and, as a nurse scientist, is uniquely positioned to move seamlessly from bench to bedside—translating complex scientific discoveries into practical, patient-centered solutions. Data from the InterGEN Study have been used to examine the impacts of police discrimination (4), trauma (5), social vulnerability (6), mental health (7), and coping strategies (8), reshaping how researchers and clinicians understand and address cardiovascular disparities in African American communities.
Taylor’s commitment to nursing and hypertension research emerged from her own life story.
Born in the 1970’s in a small town outside of Detroit, Michigan to a family of thirteen, Taylor’s father was employed at Ford Motor Company, her mother, a stay-at-home parent. At the age of six Taylor was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer. During her treatment at the University of Michigan Children’s Hospital, she was cared for by an African American nurse named Jackie.
At the time, Taylor had never known anyone in her family who worked in nursing, and this experience marked her first meaningful interaction with a nurse. Witnessing Jackie’s skill, dedication, and compassion left a lasting impression. Inspired by her care, Taylor began to imagine herself in a similar role—supporting others through moments of illness and uncertainty. (9)
As she grew older, that early inspiration deepened into a personal calling. She watched family members and loved ones struggle with hypertension and its long-term effects, seeing firsthand how the disease shaped their daily lives and limited their health. These experiences made the issue impossible to ignore. What began as admiration for a nurse’s compassion evolved into a commitment to understanding and addressing a condition that had touched so many people she cared about.
As the first person in her family to attend college, Taylor enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-BC), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Urban Health Nursing (9).
From the beginning, and as her education progressed, Jacquelyn’s path unfolded much like that of many accomplished leaders: shaped by timely guidance, unexpected opportunities, the courage to step forward, and ignoring the critics who claimed she “wasn’t supposed to.” Along the way, key individuals helped her navigate opaque systems and encouraged her to use her abilities to pursue her passion.
Early in her college years, a rare approval of a work-study request allowed her to join a laboratory alongside postdoctoral researchers studying hypertension. Years later, a graduate advisor encouraged her to apply to the Urban Health Nursing PhD program, challenging the widespread belief that she needed a decade of clinical experience before pursuing doctoral training. Still later, Taylor took another bold step by personally contacting the director of a specialized training program in Cardiovascular Genetic Epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Although nursing degrees were not listed among the program’s formal eligibility requirements, she advocated that nursing degrees be considered. The director agreed, paving the way for other nurses that would follow. (9)
Each of these moments reflects a defining pattern in Taylor’s life: she moved forward not with hesitation, but with curiosity, confidence, and a willingness to ask. Today, she works to create similar opportunities for other nurses, demystifying systems, extending mentorship, and encouraging emerging scholars to step into spaces they may not yet realize are open to them.
Taylor holds the Helen F. Petit Endowed Professorship of Nursing at Columbia University, where she serves as the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC) at the Columbia University School of Nursing. She is also the Founding Executive Director of the Kathleen Hickey Endowed Lectureship on Cardiovascular Care, the first endowed lectureship honoring a nurse scientist at Columbia. In addition, she serves as a Senior Advisor to the Chair of the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019 (10).
As we observe Black History Month and American Heart Month, we honor Dr. Taylor and the countless nurses and nurse scientists who work tirelessly to confront persistent health disparities. Through their commitment to advancing cardiovascular science, translating research into compassionate, evidence-based care, and expanding opportunities within nursing scholarship, they are improving outcomes for underrepresented communities while paving the way for future generations of nurse leaders and researchers.
References and for Further Reading:
Orminski, E. (2021, June 30). Your zip code is more important than your genetic code. National Community Reinvestment Coalition. https://ncrc.org/your-zip-code-is-more-important-than-your-genetic-code/
American Heart Association. (2025, February 7). Cardiovascular health risks continue to grow within Black communities, action needed. American Heart Association Newsroom. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cardiovascular-health-risks-continue-to-grow-within-black-communities-action-needed
Taylor, J. Y., Wright, M. L., Crusto, C. A., & Sun, Y. V. (2016). The Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure (InterGEN) Study: Design and Methods for Complex DNA Analysis. Biological research for nursing, 18(5), 521–530. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800416645399
Kalinowski J, Talbert RD, Woods B, et al. Police Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms in African American Women: The Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure Study. Health Equity. 2022;6(1). doi:10.1089/heq.2021.0167
Barcelona, V., Huang, Y., Caceres, B. A., Newhall, K. P., Hui, Q., Cerdeña, J. P., Crusto, C. A., Sun, Y. V., & Taylor, J. Y. (2022). Experiences of Trauma and DNA Methylation Profiles among African American Mothers and Children. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(16), 8951. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23168951
Ibrahim, B. B., Barcelona, V., Condon, E. M., Crusto, C. A., & Taylor, J. Y. (2021). The association between neighborhood social vulnerability and cardiovascular health risk among Black/African American women in the InterGEN study. Nursing Research, 70(5 Suppl 1), S3–S12. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000523
Nyembwe, A., Zhao, Y., Millender, E., Hall, K., Caceres, B. A., Taylor, B., Morrison, M. T., Prescott, L., Potts-Thompson, S., Aziz, A., Aruleba, F., Crusto, C., & Taylor, J. Y. (2025). Perceived Discrimination, Trauma, Mental Health, and Blood Pressure Outcomes Among Young African American/Black Mothers in the InterGEN Study. The Journal of cardiovascular nursing, 10.1097/JCN.0000000000001190. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000001190
Nyembwe, A., Zhao, Y., Caceres, B. A., Hall, K., Prescott, L., Potts-Thompson, S., Morrison, M. T., Crusto, C., & Taylor, J. Y. (2025). Moderating effect of coping strategies on the association between perceived discrimination and blood pressure outcomes among young Black mothers in the InterGEN study. AIMS Public Health, 12(1), 217–232. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2025014
Tayyeb, A. R. (Host). (2023, March 7). RN-MENTOR Podcast: Dr. Jacquelyn Taylor [Audio podcast episode]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1e7xFzu8_A
Columbia University School of Nursing. (n.d.). Jacquelyn Y. Taylor, PhD, PNP-BC, RN, FAHA, FAAN. Columbia University School of Nursing. https://www.nursing.columbia.edu/profile/jacquelyn-y-taylor-phd
Taylor, J. Y., Sun, Y. V., Barcelona de Mendoza, V., Ifatunji, M., Rafferty, J., Fox, E. R., Musani, S. K., Sims, M., & Jackson, J. S. (2017). The combined effects of genetic risk and perceived discrimination on blood pressure among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. Medicine, 96(43), e8369. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000008369
Crusto, C. A., Barcelona de Mendoza, V., Connell, C. M., Sun, Y. V., & Taylor, J. Y. (2016). The Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure Study (InterGEN): Design and Methods for Recruitment and Psychological Measures. Nursing research, 65(4), 331–338. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000163
Liu, C., Young, A., Abi, N., Chen, J., Fernandes Gyorfy, M., Li, Y., Sun, S., Zhou, J. J., & Sun, Y. V. (2025). Novel approaches and applications in identifying DNA methylation markers of cardio-kidney-metabolic disease. Epigenomics, 17(14), 993–1008. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501911.2025.2540273.