Jacob DeBlois

Biography

Dr. DeBlois is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at URI. He has worked with a variety of populations throughout his research training, including firefighters, police officers, military veterans, older adults, children, racial/ethnic minorities, athletes, and clinical populations. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at URI, including KIN 325 (Exercise Testing and Prescription), KIN 559 (Principles of Exercise Testing and Interpretation), and KIN 565 (Cardiovascular
Disease: Prevention and Rehabilitation).

Research

Dr. DeBlois’s research centers primarily around understanding the occupational
stressors of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and military veterans and the impact
those stressors have on cardiovascular disease and hypertension risk. His research
examines how occupational duties influence psychosocial (mental health, social
support, resilience) and biobehavioral health factors (physical activity, smoking status,
sleep patterns) that may ultimately alter vascular structure and function. Dr. DeBlois
uses non-invasive techniques to interrogate vascular structure and function, including
ultrasound, applanation tonometry, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and
transcranial Doppler. These research tools are employed both at rest and during mental
stress tasks to examine how stress influences vascular physiology. Additional areas of
research interest include cardiovascular health of individuals with Type 1 Diabetes
Mellitus and cardiovascular health of sexual minorities (LGBTQIA+).

Education

Ph.D., Exercise Science, Syracuse University
M.S., Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
B.S., Exercise Science and Chemistry/Biochemistry (double major), Skidmore College

Selected Publications

DeBlois JP, London AS, Heffernan KS. Hypertension at the nexus of veteran status,
psychiatric diagnosis, and traumatic brain injury: Insights from the 2011 Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System. PLOS ONE. 2024;19(3):e0298366. doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0298366.

Pascual J, DeBlois JP, Ray C, Hametner B, Heffernan KS, Voss MA. Central
hemodynamic response to activation of the vestibular sympathetic reflex with head
down rotation in healthy young adults. J Appl Physiol. 2023
doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00107.2023.

Heckel AR, Arcidiacono DM, Coonan KA, Glasgow AC, DeBlois JP, Gump BB, Kim JY,
Heffernan KS. Twenty-four-hour central hemodynamic load in adults with and without a
history of COVID-19. Am J Hypertens. 2022;35(11):948-954. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpac100.

Augustine JA, Lefferts WK, DeBlois JP, Barreira TV, Taylor BA, Liu K, Heffernan KS.
Sex differences in cardiovascular adaptations in recreational marathon runners. Eur J
Appl Phys. 2021;121(21):3459-3472. doi:10.1007/s00421-021-04806-1.

Pagan Lassalle P, DeBlois JP, Keller AP, Stoner L, Heffernan KS. Central blood
pressure and subclinical atherosclerotic risk in young Hispanic American women. Ethn
Dis. 2021 Oct; 31(4):489-500. doi:10.18865/ed.31.4.489.

DeBlois JP, White LE, Barreira TV. Reliability and validity of the COSMED K5
metabolic system during walking. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020 Oct; 121(1):209-217.
doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04514-2.
Lefferts WK, DeBlois JP, Augustine JA, Keller AP, Heffernan KS. Age, sex, and the
vascular contributors to cerebral pulsatility and pulsatile damping. J Appl Physiol.
2020;129(5):1092-1101. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00500.2020.

DeBlois JP, Lefferts WK, Heffernan KS. Influence of sprint exercise on aortic pulse
wave velocity and femoral artery shear patterns. Eur J Appl Physiol.
2020;120(12):2635-2647. doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04483-6.

Horn GP, Stewart JW, Kesler RM, DeBlois JP, Kerber S, Fent KW, Scott WS, Fernhall
B, Smith DL. Firefighter and fire instructor’s physiological responses and safety in
various training fire environments. Safety Sci. 2019;116:287-294.
doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2019.03.017.

Lefferts WK, DeBlois JP, White CN, Day TA, Heffernan KS, Brutsaert TD. Changes in
cognitive function and latent processes of decision-making during incremental ascent to
high altitude. Physiol Behav. 2019;201:139-145. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.01.002.

Smith, DL, DeBlois JP, Kales SN, Horn GP. Cardiovascular strain of firefighting and the
risk of sudden cardiac events. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2016;44(3):90-7.
doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000081.