The candidate is an Instructor in Medicine in the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her research area is the epidemiology of rheumatic diseases, and the social and biological determinants of outcome in rheumatic diseases. Dr. Matthew Liang, Director, Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Center (MAMDC), Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard School of Public Health, will be her sponsor and co-mentor along with Drs. Frank Speizer, Charles Hennekens, Walter Willett and Meir Stampfer from the Channing Laboratory and Division of Preventive Medicine. The research training program consists of the two studies described below, Research Seminars in the MAMDC, Channing Laboratory and Division of Preventive Medicine, courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and close review by an Advisory Committee. The goal of the proposed studies is to define the role of dietary and hormonal risk factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women. Specifically, it will test the potential protective role of antioxidants and N-3 fatty acids on the risk of RA, whether postmenopausal estrogen reduces risk and whether menopause increases risk of RA. The study utilizes information from two separate, complementary cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study, a prospective cohort of 121,700 women aged 30-55 years at baseline, followed since 1976, and the Women's Health Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin and vitamin E in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer among 39,876 female health professionals, aged 45 years and older. RA will be confirmed by a screening questionnaire regarding rheumatic symptoms and review of medical records. The study will identify potentially modifiable risk factors for primary prevention of RA.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08AR002074-05
Application #
6532908
Study Section
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Special Grants Review Committee (AMS)
Program Officer
Gretz, Elizabeth
Project Start
1998-09-30
Project End
2003-08-31
Budget Start
2002-09-01
Budget End
2003-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$128,520
Indirect Cost
Name
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
071723621
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Shadick, Nancy A; Karlson, Elizabeth W; Cook, Nancy R et al. (2010) Low-dose aspirin in the primary prevention of rheumatoid arthritis: the Women's Health Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 62:545-50
Karlson, Elizabeth W; Shadick, Nancy A; Cook, Nancy R et al. (2008) Vitamin E in the primary prevention of rheumatoid arthritis: the Women's Health Study. Arthritis Rheum 59:1589-95
Shadick, Nancy A; Cook, Nancy R; Karlson, Elizabeth W et al. (2006) C-reactive protein in the prediction of rheumatoid arthritis in women. Arch Intern Med 166:2490-4
Karlson, E W; Costenbader, K H; McAlindon, T E et al. (2005) High sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of the Connective Tissue Disease Screening Questionnaire among urban African-American women. Lupus 14:832-6
Skinner, Halcyon G; Michaud, Dominique S; Giovannucci, Edward L et al. (2004) A prospective study of folate intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer in men and women. Am J Epidemiol 160:248-58
Costenbader, Karen H; Kim, Daniel J; Peerzada, Jehanna et al. (2004) Cigarette smoking and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis. Arthritis Rheum 50:849-57
Solomon, Daniel H; Karlson, Elizabeth W; Curhan, Gary C (2004) Cardiovascular care and cancer screening in female nurses with and without rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 51:429-32
Solomon, Daniel H; Curhan, Gary C; Rimm, Eric B et al. (2004) Cardiovascular risk factors in women with and without rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 50:3444-9
Cannuscio, Carolyn C; Colditz, Graham A; Rimm, Eric B et al. (2004) Employment status, social ties, and caregivers' mental health. Soc Sci Med 58:1247-56
Karlson, Elizabeth W; Mandl, Lisa A; Hankinson, Susan E et al. (2004) Do breast-feeding and other reproductive factors influence future risk of rheumatoid arthritis? Results from the Nurses' Health Study. Arthritis Rheum 50:3458-67

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