Jose Rafael Romero, MD

Dr. Romero completed residency training in neurology at Boston University Medical Campus and fellowship training in vascular neurology at Boston University Medical Campus. He received his medical degree from the Escuela Cololmbiana de Medicina in Colombia. He also completed studies for a Master in Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.
Dr. Romero is an active investigator in the Framingham Heart Study since 2006.

Research Interests
Dr. Romero’s research interests center on the study of cerebrovascular disease in subclinical stages, prevention of stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia and use of neuroimaging in the epidemiological study of cerebrovascular disease. His focus is in the interplay of cerebrovascular disease with the neurodegenerative process, and contributions to clinical stroke and dementia. Much of his current work centers on the epidemiological study of brain MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease, their determinants and clinical consequences. As a board-certified neurologist and vascular neurologist, his clinical interests are in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with stroke, with particular emphasis in racial minority populations. He runs a stroke prevention clinic and is an active member in the Stroke Unit at Boston Medical Center. He is the site PI of several clinical trials for acute stroke treatment and secondary prevention. He has written widely on stroke, cerebrovascular disease in subclinical stages, and epidemiology of stroke and dementia. He has participated as study section reviewer in the NIH- and has obtained grant funding from NIH-NIA for his research support. Dr. Romero has presented the results of his research widely at national and international level and has been invited to participate in several international consortia of experts in cerebrovascular disease. Dr. Romero has contributed significantly to our understanding of cerebral microbleeds in the general population and is now leading the study of enlarged perivascular spaces in the Framingham Heart Study cohorts.

Investigator
Framingham Heart Study




Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis
09/09/2023 - 08/31/2028 (Multi-PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
5R01NS017950-39

Longitudinal Risk Factor Changes and Early Recognition of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
09/25/2023 - 08/31/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
1R21NS135268-01

Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences
08/01/2019 - 04/30/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R01AG059725-05

Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis
09/09/2023 - 09/10/2023 (Multi-PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
2R01NS017950-38A1

Genetic Contribution to Brain Arterial Dilatation and its Role in Cognition and Dementia
08/15/2018 - 04/30/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York NIH NIA
5R01AG057709-05

Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis
12/01/2017 - 02/28/2023 (Subcontract PI)
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio NIH NINDS
5R01NS017950-37

Preclinical AD: Correlates of Amyloid, Tau PET and fcMRI in Framingham Gen 3 Young Adults
12/01/2017 - 01/31/2021 (Subcontract PI)
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio NIH NIA
7R01AG049607-05

Cerebral Microbleeds in Young Adults: Risk Factors, Biomarkers and Genetic Determinants
06/01/2015 - 05/31/2018 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R03AG048180-02

Risk Factors, Genetics and Cognition in Cerebral Microbleeds: Framingham Study
08/15/2011 - 05/31/2017 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5K23AG038444-05

Investigation of lipoprotein phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in the Framingham Heart Study
11/01/2009 - 06/30/2011 (PI)
GlaxoSmithKline LLC



Comparison of Anti-coagulation and anti-Platelet Therapies for Intracranial Vascular Atherostenosis (CAPTIVA)
04/01/2023 - 08/31/2026 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
University of Cincinnati NIH NINDS
5U01NS117450-02

Sleep for Stroke Management and Recovery Trial (Sleep SMART)
08/15/2019 - 07/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
University of Cincinnati NIH NINDS
5U01NS099043-02

Multi-arm Optimization of Stroke Thrombolysis (MOST) Stroke Trial-NCC Admin
06/01/2018 - 04/30/2024 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
University of Cincinnati NIH NINDS
1U01NS100699-01A1

New England Regional Coordinating Center for the NINDS Stroke Trials Network
08/01/2018 - 07/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
The General Hospital Corporation / MGH NIH NINDS
1U24NS107243-01

New England Regional Coordinating Center for the NINDS Stroke Trials Network
09/30/2013 - 05/31/2020 (Multi-PI)
PI: Jose Rafael Romero, MD
The General Hospital Corporation / MGH NIH NINDS


CV006004
08/24/2016 - 07/01/2019 (PI)
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company


POINT Study: Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New TIA
02/01/2010 - 04/30/2019 (PI)
EMMES Corporation NIH-NINDS
2U01NS062835-06

Mild and Rapidly improving stroke symptoms 'MaRISS' Research Study No. NEA-31
04/01/2015 - 04/01/2019 (PI)
American Heart Association/AHA


New England Regional Coordinating Center for the NINDS Stroke Trials Network
09/30/2013 - 07/31/2018 (PI)
Mass General Hosp NIH-NINDS


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2024 Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis 5R01NS017950-39
2023 Longitudinal Risk Factor Changes and Early Recognition of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease 1R21NS135268-01
2023 Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences 5R01AG059725-05
2023 Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis 2R01NS017950-38A1
2022 Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences 5R01AG059725-04
2021 Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences 5R01AG059725-03 1
2020 Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences 5R01AG059725-02 1
2019 Enlarged Perivascular Spaces as Markers of Vascular and Alzheimer pathology: predictors, pathophysiology and clinical consequences 1R01AG059725-01A1 1
2016 Cerebral Microbleeds in Young Adults: risk factors, biomarkers and genetics 5R03AG048180-02 14
2015 Cerebral Microbleeds in Young Adults: risk factors, biomarkers and genetics 1R03AG048180-01A1 14
Showing 10 of 15 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Toro AR, Lara FR, Pinheiro A, Demissie S, Decarli C, Parva P, Habes M, Charidimou A, Seshadri S, Maillard P, Romero JR. Association of MRI visible Perivascular Spaces with Early White Matter Injury. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2025 Jun 03.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40461258
     
  2. Liu M, Khasiyev F, Spagnolo-Allende A, Sanchez DL, Andrews H, Yang Q, Beiser A, Qiao Y, Romero JR, Rundek T, Brickman AM, Manly JJ, Elkind MS, Seshadri S, Chen C, Del Brutto OH, Hilal S, Wasserman BA, Tosto G, Fornage M, Gutierrez J. Multi-population Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Multiple Novel Loci associated with Asymptomatic Intracranial Large Artery Stenosis. medRxiv. 2025 May 07.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40385396; PMCID: PMC12083599; DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.06.25327093;
     
  3. Petrie BK, Lau H, Cajiga-Pena FM, Abbas S, Finn B, Dam K, Cervantes-Arslanian AM, Nguyen TN, Aparicio HJ, Greer D, Romero JR. Illicit drug use and cerebral microbleeds in patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. Int J Stroke. 2025 Mar 11; 17474930251328524.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40070091; DOI: 10.1177/17474930251328524;
     
  4. Levine DA, Whitney RT, Ye W, Briceño EM, Gross AL, Giordani BJ, Sussman JB, Lazar RM, Howard VJ, Aparicio HJ, Beiser AS, Elkind MSV, Gottesman RF, Koton S, Pendlebury ST, Kollipara AS, Springer MV, Seshadri S, Romero JR, Fitzpatrick AL, Longstreth WT, Hayward RA. Associations Between Stroke Type, Ischemic Stroke Subtypes, and Poststroke Cognitive Trajectories. Stroke. 2025 Apr; 56(4):898-907.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40062407; DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.124.047640;
     
  5. Ekenze O, Seiler S, Pinheiro A, DeCarli C, Parva P, Habes M, Charidimou A, Maillard P, Beiser A, Seshadri S, Demissie S, Romero JR. Relation of MRI visible perivascular spaces with global and regional brain structural connectivity measures: The Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Neurobiol Aging. 2025 Jun; 150:1-8.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40043467; PMCID: PMC11981825; DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.02.007;
     
  6. Stefanidou M, Himali JJ, Bernal R, Satizabal C, Devinsky O, Romero JR, Beiser AS, Seshadri S, Friedman D. Association of cognitive and structural correlates of brain aging and incident epilepsy. The Framingham Heart Study. Epilepsia. 2025 Jan; 66(1):160-169.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39555677; PMCID: PMC11875459; DOI: 10.1111/epi.18160;
     
  7. Yau WW, Scott MR, Petrea RE, Buckley RF, Kojis D, Sperling RA, Chhatwal JP, Maillard P, Aparicio HJ, Romero JR, DeCarli CS, Beiser AS, Seshadri S. Sex-Specific Vulnerabilities to Subclinical Vascular Brain Injury in Early Late-Life: The Framingham Heart Study. Ann Neurol. 2025 Mar; 97(3):460-469.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39540324; PMCID: PMC12034097; DOI: 10.1002/ana.27135;
     
  8. Kelly DM, Pinheiro AA, Koini M, Anderson CD, Aparicio H, Hofer E, Kern D, Blacker D, DeCarli C, Hwang SJ, Viswanathan A, Gonzales MM, Beiser AS, Seshadri S, Schmidt R, Demissie S, Romero JR. Impaired kidney function, cerebral small vessel disease and cognitive disorders: the Framingham Heart Study. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2024 Oct 30; 39(11):1911-1922.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38565317; PMCID: PMC11522878; DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfae079;
     
  9. Singh SD, Senff JR, Romero JR. Is Psychosocial Health a Neglected Modifier of the Link Between Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Dementia? Stroke. 2024 Oct; 55(10):2459-2461. PMID: 39193711
     
  10. Levine DA, Whitney RT, Ye W, Briceño EM, Gross AL, Giordani BJ, Sussman JB, Lazar RM, Howard VJ, Aparicio HJ, Beiser AS, Elkind MSV, Gottesman RF, Koton S, Pendlebury ST, Kollipara AS, Springer MV, Seshadri S, Romero JR, Fitzpatrick AL, Longstreth WT, Hayward RA. Associations Between Stroke Type, Ischemic Stroke Subtypes, and Post-Stroke Cognitive Trajectories. medRxiv. 2024 May 01.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38903102; PMCID: PMC11188123; DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.24306600;
     
Showing 10 of 117 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 117 publications over 23 distinct years, with a maximum of 15 publications in 2023

YearPublications
20024
20041
20051
20061
20072
20083
20095
20102
20115
20122
20133
20143
20154
20165
20176
20184
20197
202013
20219
202211
202315
20246
20255

2025 BMC: Elected member of the inaugural BMC Research Excellence Society
2019 BU CAMed: Outstanding Research Award, Carlos S. Kase 5th symposium
2010-2010 Department of Neurology: resident teaching
2007 VasCog Conference: Vascular Cognitive Congress Scholarship
2006 American Academy of Neurology : Scientific Highlights
2005 Boston VA Health Care System: Medical student teaching award
2005 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting: Resident Scholarship award
2004 Wake Forest University: J. Kiffin Penry Resident Mini-fellowship
2001 International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology: Award of distinguished scientific quality
1995 Escuela Colombiana de Medicina: Summa Cum Laude
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75 E. Newton St Collamore Building
Boston MA 02118
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