The faculty within the Department of Epidemiology received approximately 32 million dollars in direct research funds in fiscal year 2007. These projects, mostly federally funded, included activity in the areas of concentration of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, women's health, psychiatric, aging, environment, injury, clinical trials, telecommunications, and infectious diseases.
Large, long-standing, cardiovascular disease and diabetes cohort studies focus on identifying risk factors for sub clinical and clinical disease, and disease progression, in order to identify interventions that may reduce disease burden. These include the Cardiovascular Health Study, Healthy Women's Study, Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, Diabetes Prevention Project, Diabetes Complications Study, and Familial Autoimmune and Diabetes Study. Many of these studies involve exploration of molecular markers or non-invasive cardiovascular tests as determinants of cardiovascular and diabetes risk. The World Health Organization Center for Diabetes Registries collaborates with investigators in over 70 countries to track the occurrence of and risk factors for insulin-dependent diabetes. Clinical trials, particularly among women, assess the efficacy of hormone-related and lifestyle interventions in preventing cardiovascular disease. Examples include the Women's Health Initiative, Triglycerides and HRT study, and Raloxifene Use for the Heart Study.
In collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, two major areas of cancer research include cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention and control. The former area involves etiologic case-control studies in the areas of prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer both in the U.S. and in Tobago. The later involves participation in major, national screening trials including the Prostate, Lung, Colon, and Ovary Screening trial, the Polyp Prevention Trial, and the Spiral CT and Lung Cancer trial.
Women's Health research activity, in addition to that highlighted in the cardiovascular area, includes numerous multicenter, cohort and randomized clinical trials in the area of osteoporosis prevention, including the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, the Fracture Intervention Trial, the Outcomes of Raloxifene Study, Activity Intervention to enhance bone density, Study of Osteoporotic Fractures in men, and others. Cohort studies assess chronic disease outcomes among women with polycystic ovary disease and women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Pregnancy cohort studies, conducted in collaboration with Magee-Womens Hospital, explore the genesis of preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, gestational diabetes, and infertility, as well as long-term health in women experiencing these pregnancy-related conditions.
The Epidemiology Data Center coordinates multi-center trials and registries to evaluate new and established technologies including coronary artery surgery, angioplasty, liver transplantation, artificial heart valves, brain resuscitation, and eye surgery. It also examines optimal strategies for preventing the progression of diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, ischemic heart disease, non-invasive coronary disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and depression.
A CDC-funded Injury Prevention Center resides within the University of Pittsburgh. Projects in the Center focus on prevention of head injury, car-related injuries, and on rehabilitation.
Initiatives within the psychiatric area, in collaboration with the internationally recognized research programs at Western Psychiatric Institute, include studies of alcohol and drug use, delinquency and anti-social behavior, and suicide and depression. Active studies of lead, cognition, and behavior are also underway, as are studies of behavior, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
The aging program studies antecedents to stroke, depression, and dementia. Additional areas of interest include studies of functionality, body composition, sleep, and of elderly caregivers. A CDC funded Prevention Center focuses on Healthy Aging is out in the community evaluating methods to improve the health of the elderly population by focusing attention on ten major prevention goals.
Sexually transmitted disease research is a major focus in the area of infectious diseases with randomized clinical trials and cohort studies exploring risk factors, screening strategies and best treatments for STDs and HIV. The use of molecular tools to detect and study emerging bacterial infections, and training of international researchers are also foci of activity in the area of infectious disease.
The Department is home to the Supercourse, an international collaboration established to foster international training in epidemiology. The Supercourse involves over 750 lectures in epidemiology from over 75 countries.
