Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D.

Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Ph.D.
Distinguished University Professor Emerita, Department of Epidemiology & Population Health
Dorothy and William Manealoff Foundation and Molly Rosen Chair in Social Medicine Emerita
Principal Investigator, Women's Health Initiative 

Dr. Wassertheil-Smoller's primary research focuses on cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors, particularly hypertension. Her Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a set of clinical trials and observational studies of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, cognition, nutrition and other health issues facing older women. Her Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) involves 16,000 Hispanic men and women of different ethnic origins, ages 18-74, followed in four field sites, examining risk and protective factors for cardiovascular health in relation to ethnicity, acculturation and other variables. full bio>> 

Key Publications

1. Berger JS, McGinn AP, Howard BV, Kuller L, Manson JE, Otvos J, Curb JD, Eaton CB, Kaplan RC, Lynch JK, Rosenbaum DM, Wassertheil-Smoller S. Lipid and lipoprotein biomarkers and the risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women. Stroke. 2012 Apr;43(4):958-66. Epub 2012 Feb 2.
2. Daviglus ML, Talavera GA, Aviles-Santa ML, Allison M, Cai J, Criqui MH, Gellman M, Giachello AL, Gouskova N, Kaplan RC, LaVange L, Penedo F, Perreira K, Pirzada A, Schneiderman N, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Sorlie PD, Stamler J. Prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases among hispanic/latino individuals of diverse backgrounds in the united states. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 2012;308:1775-1784
3. Wassertheil-Smoller, S., McGinn, A., Allison, M., Ca, T., Curb, D., Eaton, C., Hendrix, S., Kaplan, R., Ko, M., Martin, L. W. and Xue, X. (2012), Improvement in stroke risk prediction: role of C-reactive protein and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 in the women's health initiative. International Journal of Stroke. doi: 10.1111/j.1747- 4949.2012.00860.x Epub 2012 Oct 23
4. Seth A, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Kamensky V, Silver B, Lakshminarayan K, Prentice R, Van Horn L, Wassertheil-Smoller S. Potassium Intake and Risk of Stroke in Women With Hypertension and Nonhypertension in the Women's Health Initiative. Stroke. 2014 Oct;45(10):2874-80. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.006046. Epub 2014 Sep 4.
5. Wassertheil-Smoller, S, Arredondo, EM, Cai,JW, Castenada, Sheila, Choca, JP, Gallo L, Jung M, LaVange LM, Lee-Rey ET, Mosley T, PenedoFJ, Santistaban DA,, Zee, PC, Depression, anxiety, antidepressant use, and cardiovascular disease among Hispanic men and women of different national backgrounds: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), Annals of Epidemiology. 2014;24:822-30.

Funding

1. Co-PI Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) – Field Center
   NHLBI HHSN268200625235C
   9/30/2006 – 5/31/2020
   PI on subcontract Helicobacter pylori protein-specific antibodies and colorectal cancer risk
2. NCI - R01 CA190428
   04/01/2015 -03/31/2019
   $88,269