Dr. Townsend is a Nephrologist who conducts NIH-funded research into the role of arterial stiffness in outcomes such as death and kidney failure progression, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease. In addition, he oversees the Hypertension Program at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and supervises the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring program at Penn. He was the American Heart Association Physician of the Year for 2016 and an empaneled member of the JNC - 8 hypertension guidelines committee. His other interests include device-based therapies for high blood pressure treatment and he serves on the Medtronic SPYRAL Hypertension Executive Committee.