Kanokwan (Mandy) Bunsawat, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments: Internal Medicine - Research Assistant Professor

Divisions: Geriatrics

Academic Office Information

kanokwan.bunsawat@hsc.utah.edu

Research Interests

  • Arterial Stiffness
  • Endothelial Function
  • Microneurography
  • Kidney (Renal) Functions
  • Aging
  • Autonomic Nervous System
  • Blood Pressure
  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Regional Blood Flow
  • Exercise
  • Women's Health
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Vascular Biology

Dr. Bunsawat is a Research Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah and a Research Health Scientist at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center with long-term research interests in integrative human physiology with a primary emphasis on age- and sex-related health disparities among individuals with cardiovascular diseases. Her current research agenda broadly focuses on (1) understanding mechanistic underpinnings and physiological consequences of autonomic and vascular dysfunction in the context of aging and age-related diseases and (2) identifying lifestyle and pharmacological strategies to improve the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Some of the ongoing and upcoming projects include studies examining the efficacy of exercise training and drug interventions to improve vascular and autonomic function, muscle blood flow, and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease.

Education History

Fellowship University of Utah School of Medicine
Geriatrics 		Fellow
Professional Medical University of Illinois at Chicago
Kinesiology 		Ph.D.
Undergraduate Skidmore College
Exercise Science 		B.S.

Selected Publications

  1. Bunsawat K, Clifton HL, Ratchford SM, Vranish JR, Alpenglow JK, Haykowsky MJ, Trinity JD, Ryan JJ, Fadel PJ, Wray DW (2023). Cardiovascular Responses to Static Handgrip Exercise and Post-Exercise Ischemia in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. J Appl Physiol (1985).
  2. Ratchford SM, Bunsawat K, Alpenglow JK, Zhao J, Wright JB, Ryan JJ, Wray DW (2022). Improved vascular function and functional capacity following l-citrulline administration in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a single-arm, open-label, prospective pilot study. J Appl Physiol (1985), 134(2), 328-338.
  3. Bunsawat K, Richardson RS (2022). Sex as a biological variable in exercise prescription: a critical consideration in developing a road map for sex-related differences in cardiovascular research. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 324(1), H126-H128.
  4. Jae SY, Kim HJ, Kunutsor SK, Bunsawat K, Kurl S, Laukkanen JA, Choi YH (2022). Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Estimated Remnant Cholesterol and Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Healthy Men. Am J Cardiol, 186, 170-175.
  5. Jae SY, Lee KH, Kim HJ, Kunutsor SK, Heffernan KS, Climie RE, Bunsawat K, Kang M (2022). Separate and Joint Associations of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Healthy Vascular Aging With Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Men. Hypertension, 79(7), 1445-1454.
  6. Linder BA, Mehrer JD, Bunsawat K (2022). Salty skin: Where excess sodium goes for a rendezvous. J Physiol, 600(13), 3025-3027.
  7. Ratchford SM, Lee JF, Bunsawat K, Alpenglow JK, Zhao J, Ma CL, Ryan JJ, Khor LL, Wray DW (2022). The impact of obesity on the regulation of muscle blood flow during exercise in patients with heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. J Appl Physiol (1985), 132(5), 1240-1249.
  8. Cho MJ, Choi HI, Kim HJ, Bunsawat K, Kunutsor SK, Jae SY (2022). Comparison of the acute effects of ankle bathing versus moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on vascular function in young adults. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 47(5), 469-481.
  9. Bunsawat K, Grosicki GJ, Jeong S, Robinson AT (2022). Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiometabolic disease and COVID-19 outcomes in White, Black/African American, and Latinx populations: Physiological underpinnings. [Review]. Prog Cardiovasc Dis, 71, 11-19.
  10. Grosicki GJ, Bunsawat K, Jeong S, Robinson AT (2022). Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiometabolic disease and COVID-19 outcomes in White, Black/African American, and Latinx populations: Social determinants of health. [Review]. Prog Cardiovasc Dis, 71, 4-10.
  11. Robinson AT, Wenner MM, Bunsawat K, Watso JC, Giersch GEW, Charkoudian N (2021). When it's time for the sex talk, words matter. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 322(1), H66-H70.
  12. Jeong S, Pollin KU, DuBose LE, Bunsawat K (2021). Brain Blood Flow: The More You N.O. J Physiol, 600(1), 11-13.
  13. Francisco MA, Lee JF, Barrett-OKeefe Z, Groot HJ, Ratchford SM, Bunsawat K, Alpenglow JK, Ryan JJ, Nativi JN, Richardson RS, Wray DW (2021). Locomotor Muscle Microvascular Dysfunction in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction. Hypertension, 78(6), 1750-1759.
  14. Bunsawat K, Ratchford SM, Alpenglow JK, Stehlik J, Smith AS, Richardson RS, Wray DW (2021). Sympathoinhibitory effect of sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: A pilot study. Auton Neurosci, 235, 102834.
  15. Craig JC, Bunsawat K (2022). Low Fitness and High Fatness: The "Double Whammy" on Vascular Health. Taehan Supochu Uihakhoe Chi, 39(3), 91-94.
  16. Stute NL, Stickford ASL, Stickford JL, Province VM, Augenreich MA, Bunsawat K, Alpenglow JK, Wray DW, Ratchford SM (2021). Altered central and peripheral haemodynamics during rhythmic handgrip exercise in young adults with SARS-CoV-2. Exp Physiol, 107(7), 708-721.
  17. Jae SY, Kurl S, Bunsawat K, Franklin BA, Choo J, Kunutsor SK, Kauhanen J, Laukkanen JA (2020). Impact of cardiorespiratory fitness on survival in men with low socioeconomic status. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 28(4), 450-455.
  18. Bunsawat K, Lefferts EC, Grigoriadis G, Wee SO, Kilianek MM, Fadel PJ, Clifford PS, Fernhall BO, Baynard T (2020). Central and Peripheral Postexercise Blood Pressure and Vascular Responses in Young Adults with Obesity. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 53(5), 994-1002.
  19. Bunsawat K, Robinson AT (2021). Delineating racial and socioeconomic-related health disparities in end-stage heart failure: insight from cardiac DNA methylation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 320(5), H2031-H2033.
  20. Jae SY, Bunsawat K, Kurl S, Kunutsor SK, Fernhall B, Franklin BA, Laukkanen JA (2021). Cardiorespiratory Fitness Attenuates the Increased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death Associated With Low Socioeconomic Status. [Letter to the editor]. Am J Cardiol, 145, 164-165.
  21. Cho MJ, Kim HJ, Kim YW, Bunsawat K, Jae SY (2021). Acute effect of postexercise cigarette smoking on central hemodynamics and endothelial function in young men. Taehan Supochu Uihakhoe Chi, 39(4), 154-9.
  22. Bunsawat K, Ratchford SM, Alpenglow JK, Park SH, Jarrett CL, Stehlik J, Smith AS, Richardson RS, Wray DW (2020). Sacubitril-valsartan improves conduit vessel function and functional capacity and reduces inflammation in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. J Appl Physiol (1985), 130(1), 256-268.
  23. Bunsawat K, Ratchford SM, Alpenglow JK, Ryan JJ, Richardson RS, Wray DW (2020). Direct Assessment of Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity During Exercise in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Case Report. J Card Fail, 27(1), 114-116.
  24. Bunsawat K, Ratchford SM, Alpenglow JK, Park SH, Jarrett CL, Stehlik J, Drakos SG, Richardson RS, Wray DW (2020). Chronic antioxidant administration restores macrovascular function in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Exp Physiol, 105(8), 1384-1395.
  25. Rosenberg AJ, Schroeder EC, Grigoriadis G, Wee SO, Bunsawat K, Heffernan KS, Fernhall B, Baynard T (2020). Aging reduces cerebral blood flow regulation following an acute hypertensive stimulus. J Appl Physiol (1985), 128(5), 1186-1195.
  26. Cho MJ, Bunsawat K, Kim HJ, Yoon ES, Jae SY (2020). The acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting with stair climbing on vascular and metabolic function after a high-fat meal. Eur J Appl Physiol, 120(4), 829-839.
  27. Craig JC, Broxterman RM, La Salle DT, Cerbie J, Ratchford SM, Gifford JR, Bunsawat K, Nelson AD, Bledsoe AD, Morgan DE, Wray DW, Richardson RS, Trinity JD (2019). The role of endothelin A receptors in peripheral vascular control at rest and during exercise in patients with hypertension. J Physiol, 598(1), 71-84.
  28. Ratchford SM, Clifton HL, Gifford JR, LaSalle DT, Thurston TS, Bunsawat K, Alpenglow JK, Richardson RS, Wright JB, Ryan JJ, Wray DW (2019). Impact of acute antioxidant administration on inflammation and vascular function in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 317(5), R607-R614.
  29. Bunsawat K, Grigoriadis G, Schroeder EC, Rosenberg AJ, Rader MM, Fadel PJ, Clifford PS, Fernhall B, Baynard T (2019). Preserved ability to blunt sympathetically-mediated vasoconstriction in exercising skeletal muscle of young obese humans. Physiol Rep, 7(8), e14068.
  30. Jae SY, Bunsawat K, Kunutsor SK, Yoon ES, Kim HJ, Kang M, Choi YH, Franklin BA (2018). Relation of Exercise Heart Rate Recovery to Predict Cardiometabolic Syndrome in Men. Am J Cardiol, 123(4), 582-587.
  31. Yoon ES, Heffernan KS, Jae SY, Kim HJ, Bunsawat K, Fernhall B (2018). Metabolically healthy obesity and subclinical atherosclerosis in persons with spinal cord injury. J Rehabil Med, 50(7), 613-618.
  32. Jae SY, Bunsawat K, Choi YH, Kim YS, Touyz RM, Park JB, Franklin BA (2018). Relation of serum uric acid to an exaggerated systolic blood pressure response to exercise testing in men with normotension. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich), 20(3), 551-556.
  33. Cho MJ, Park YR, Bunsawat K, Kim HJ, Yoon ES, Jae SY (2018). Comparison of the effects of short-term stair climbing and walking exercise on vascular function in healthy young adults. International Journal of Applied Sports Sciences, 30(2), 125-33.
  34. Kappus RM, Bunsawat K, Brown MD, Phillips SA, Haus JM, Baynard T, Fernhall B (2017). Effect of oxidative stress on racial differences in vascular function at rest and during hand grip exercise. J Hypertens, 35(10), 2006-2015.
  35. Bunsawat K, Ranadive SM, Lane-Cordova AD, Yan H, Kappus RM, Fernhall B, Baynard T (2017). The effect of acute maximal exercise on postexercise hemodynamics and central arterial stiffness in obese and normal-weight individuals. Physiol Rep, 5(7), e13226.
  36. Kappus RM, Bunsawat K, Rosenberg AJ, Fernhall B (2017). No Evidence of Racial Differences in Endothelial Function and Exercise Blood Flow in Young, Healthy Males Following Acute Antioxidant Supplementation. Int J Sports Med, 38(3), 193-200.
  37. Jae SY, Bunsawat K, Park JB (2016). How does high fitness attenuate the risk of all-cause mortality in individuals with increased coronary artery calcification? [Letter to the editor]. Atherosclerosis, 254, 309.
  38. Jae SY, Bunsawat K, Fadel PJ, Fernhall B, Choi YH, Park JB, Franklin BA (2016). Attenuated Heart Rate Recovery After Exercise Testing and Risk of Incident Hypertension in Men. Am J Hypertens, 29(9), 1103-8.
  39. Bunsawat K, Baynard T (2016). Cardiac autonomic modulation and blood pressure responses to isometric handgrip and submaximal cycling exercise in individuals with down syndrome. Clin Auton Res, 26(4), 253-60.
  40. Arciero PJ, Edmonds RC, Bunsawat K, Gentile CL, Ketcham C, Darin C, Renna M, Zheng Q, Zhang JZ, Ormsbee MJ (2016). Protein-Pacing from Food or Supplementation Improves Physical Performance in Overweight Men and Women: The PRISE 2 Study. Nutrients, 8(5), 288.
  41. Sun P, Yan H, Ranadive SM, Lane AD, Kappus RM, Bunsawat K, Baynard T, Hu M, Li S, Fernhall B (2016). Autonomic Recovery Is Delayed in Chinese Compared with Caucasian following Treadmill Exercise. PLoS One, 11(1), e0147104.
  42. Lane-Cordova AD, Ranadive SM, Yan H, Kappus RM, Sun P, Bunsawat K, Smith DL, Horn GP, Ploutz-Snyder R, Fernhall BO (2015). Effect of Aspirin Supplementation on Hemodynamics in Older Firefighters. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 47(12), 2653-9.
  43. Bunsawat K, White DW, Kappus RM, Baynard T (2014). Caffeine delays autonomic recovery following acute exercise. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 22(11), 1473-9.
  44. Lane AD, Kappus RM, Bunsawat K, Ranadive SM, Yan H, Phillips S, Baynard T, Woods JA, Motl R, Fernhall B (2014). Age-related ventricular-vascular coupling during acute inflammation in humans: Effect of physical activity. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 22(7), 904-11.
  45. Park SH, Yoon ES, Lee YH, Kim CH, Bunsawat K, Heffernan KS, Fernall B, Jae SY (2014). Effects of Acute Active Video Games on Endothelial Function Following a High-Fat Meal in Overweight Adolescents. J Phys Act Health, 12(6), 869-74.
  46. Sun P, Yan H, Ranadive SM, Lane AD, Kappus RM, Bunsawat K, Baynard T, Li S, Fernhall B (2014). Blood pressure changes following aerobic exercise in Caucasian and Chinese descendants. Int J Sports Med, 36(3), 189-96.
  47. Bunsawat K, Goulopoulou S, Collier SR, Figueroa A, Pitetti KH, Baynard T (2014). Normal HR with tilt, yet autonomic dysfunction in persons with Down syndrome. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 47(2), 250-6.
  48. Jae SY, Kurl S, Laukkanen JA, Choi YH, Park WH, Bunsawat K, Heffernan KS, Fernhall B, Kang SM, Park JB (2014). Usefulness of blood pressure rise prior to exercise stress testing to predict the risk of future hypertension in normotensive Korean men. Am J Cardiol, 114(8), 1238-42.