SUMMARY
Josh M. Bock, Ph.D., is an integrative physiologist studying the mechanisms that link lifestyle patterns such as diet, exercise and sleep with cardiovascular disease risk. His studies include:
- Arterial stiffness.
- Comprehensive blood pressure measurements.
- Echocardiography.
- Sleep architecture.
- Sympathetic nerve activity.
- Vascular endothelial function.
Dr. Bock has experience leading clinical trials ranging from acute studies to months-long interventions in both healthy individuals and clinical populations. Examples include people with type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. His research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Sleep Research Society Foundation and Mayo Clinic.
Focus areas
- Sex differences in obstructive sleep apnea. Experimental sleep disruption in healthy people impacts markers of cardiovascular risk more significantly in women than in men. Dr. Bock's research has extended these findings to patients with obstructive sleep apnea. He is actively studying sex differences in the mechanisms of sympathetic overactivation and immune dysfunction as contributors to cardiovascular disease risk in this population.
- Presleep inorganic nitrate supplementation. The physiological effects of nitric oxide are classically described in the peripheral vasculature. However, Dr. Bock has shown that increasing nitric oxide levels via inorganic nitrate also can modulate the autonomic nervous system. He found that acute nitrate supplementation before sleep improves sleep architecture in healthy adults. Dr. Bock is currently investigating if nitrate before sleep can lower nocturnal and early-morning blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity in older adults.
- Neuro-cardiac control in postmenopausal women. Human aging is accompanied by increased sympathetic nerve activity, which is more pronounced in women than in men. While the effects of this age- and sex-related difference are well studied in the peripheral vasculature, less is known about the impact on left ventricular function. Dr. Bock is studying neuro-cardiac control in postmenopausal women and the potential protective effects of menopausal hormone therapy.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Bock's research aims to help lower the risk of heart disease by improving everyday habits such as sleep, exercise and diet. His studies look at how these lifestyle factors affect the body and why heart disease risk may differ between men and women and as people get older.
Professional highlights
- Data Blitz Cup Winner, Sleep Research Society, 2025.
- Fellow, American Heart Association, 2025.
- Mayo Clinic:
- Edward C. Kendall Award for Meritorious Research, Mayo Clinic Alumni Association, 2024.
- Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 Scholar, 2023.
- T32 Fellow, Cardiovasology Training Program, 2020.
- Felicia Axelrod Investigator Award, American Autonomic Society, 2024.