Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology
A531 Crabtree Hall
130 DeSoto Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
University of Pittsburgh
(412)624-5948
fax: (412)383-5891
Email: mackey@edc.pitt.edu




Research Interests

• Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, obesity and their interrelationship, including metabolic factors such as adipocytokines, lipoproteins and their subclasses
  
  
• Role of subclinical atherosclerosis, particularly arterial stiffness, in cardiovascular disease and aging
  
  
• Women's Health
  
  
• Racial Disparities

Research Support

Principal Investigator


• Biochemical heterogeneity in morbidly obese women in the WHI- OS. NHLBI R01 HL083326-01, 2006-2011


• Relation of NMR-measured lipoprotein particle concentrations to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk. LipoScience, Inc. CRA#0022200 2010-2012


• The relationship of HDL, immune activation, inflammatory and coagulation markers to successful aging.” CAPH Pilot Grant Program 2011-2012

Co-Investigator


• Women's Heatlh Initiative Regional Field Center Program NHLBI-HHSN268201100002C, PI: R. Jackson, MD. 2010-2015


• Evaluation of Specific Markers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammation, Thrombogenesis, and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Total Mortality- WHI BAA #20, PI: L. Moreland (2009-2012) NHLBI


• Hormone Therapy, Estrogen Metabolism and Risk of Breast Cancer or Hip Fracture in the WHI Hormone Trial (2007-10) NHLBI


• Study of Women's Health Across the Nation III/Coordinating Center (2004-09) NIA

Education & Training

• Princeton University, A.B. Social History, 1990


• University of Pittsburgh, MPH, Epidemiology 1998


• University of Pittsburgh, PhD, Epidemiology 2001


• Post-doctoral Training


• Course in Scientific Management and Leadership, Office of Academic Career Development, Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
  
  
• Genomics and Proteomic Approaches to Complex Heart, Lung, Blood & Sleep Disorders NHLBI Short Course, Jackson Lab, Bar Harbor, ME, 2008

Membership in Professional and Scientific Societies

• American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology & Prevention, 2002-present


• American Society for Preventive Cardiology, 2005-present


• American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Metabolism, 2006-present


• Society for Epidemiologic Research, 2007-present


• National Lipid Association, 2010-present


• Obesity Society, 2012

Honors

• Outstanding Master's Student, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 1999
  
  
• Outstanding Doctoral Student, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 2001
  
  
• Fellow, American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology & Prevention, 2006
  
  
• Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, Omicron Chapter, 2008
  
  
• Trudy Bush Fellowship for Cardiovascular Research in Women's Health, American Heart Association, 2010

Selected Publications

1. Mackey RH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Vaitkevicius PV, Sakkinen PA, Lyles MF, Spurgeon HA, Lakatta EG, Kuller LH: Correlates of aortic stiffness in elderly individuals: a subgroup of the Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Hypertens 2002;15:16-23.


2. Mackey RH, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Evans RW, Holubkov R, Matthews KA: Lipoprotein subclasses and coronary calcification in postmenopausal women from the Healthy Women Study. Am J Cardiol 2002;90(8suppl):71i-76i.


3. Wildman RP, Mackey RH, Bostom A, Thompson T, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Measures of obesity are associated with vascular stiffness in young and older adults. Hypertension 2003; 42:468-473.


4. Muldoon MF, Mackey RH, Williams KV, Korytkowski MT, Flory JD, Manuck SB: Low central nervous system serotonergic responsivity is associated with the metabolic syndrome and physical inactivity. J Clin Endo Metab 2004; 89(1):266-271.


5. Mackey RH, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Evans RW, Holubkov R, Matthews KA: Hormone therapy, lipoprotein subclasses and coronary artery calcification: the Healthy Women Study. Arch Int Med. 2005;165:510-515.


6. Patel AS, Mackey RH, Wildman RP, Thompson T, Matthews K, Kuller L, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Cardiovascular risk factors associated with enlarged diameter of the abdominal aortic and iliac arteries in healthy women. Atherosclerosis. 2005;178(2)311-317.


7. Wildman RP, Farhat GN, Patel AS, Mackey RH, Brockwell S, Thompson T, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Weight change is associated with change in arterial stiffness among healthy young adults. Hypertension. 2005;45:187-192.


8. Muldoon MF, Mackey RH, Korytkowski MT, Flory JD, Pollock BG, Manuck SB: The metabolic syndrome is associated with reduced central nervous system serotonergic responsivity in healthy community volunteers. J Clin Endo Metab. 2006. 91(2):718-721.


9. Pettee KK, Kriska AM, Johnson BD, Conroy MB, Mackey RH, Orchard TJ, Kuller LH. The relationship between physical activity and lipoprotein subclasses in post-menopausal women: the influence of hormone therapy. Menopause. 2007; 14(1): 115-122.


10. Venkitachalam V, Mackey RH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Patel AS, Boraz MA, Simkin-Silverman LR, Kuller LH. Elevated pulse wave velocity increases the odds of coronary calcification in overweight postmenopausal women. Am J Hypertens. 2007; 20(5):469-75.


11. Mukamal KJ, Mackey RH, Kuller LH, Tracy RP, Kronmal RA, Mittleman MA, Siscovick DS. Alcohol consumption and lipoprotein subclasses in older adults. J Clin Endo Metab. 2007. 92(7):2559-2566.


12. Muldoon MF, Mackey RH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Flory JD, Pollock BG, Manuck SB: Lower central serotonergic responsivity is associated with preclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis. Stroke. 2007;38:2228-2233.


13. Mackey RH. "Invited Commentary - Weighing benefits for older runners." Arch Int Med 2008 Oct 13;168(18):1948-9.


14. Prince C, Secrest A, Mackey RH, Arena VC, Kingsley LA, Orchard TJ. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, HDL cholesterol and smoking correlate with arterial stiffness markers determined 18 years later in Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010; 33(3):652-657. PMCID: PMC2827525.


15. Sutton-Tyrrell K, Zhao X, Sowers M, Lasley B, Johnston J, Mackey RH, Matthews KA. Reproductive Hormones and Obesity: Nine years of Observation from SWAN. Am J Epidemiol. 2010; 171(11):1203-13. PMCID: PMC2915490.


16. Prince C, Secrest A, Mackey RH, Arena VC, Kingsley LA, Orchard TJ. Augmentation pressure and subendocardial viability ratio are associated with microalbuminuria and with poor renal function in Type 1 diabetes. Diab Vasc Dis Research. 2010; 7(3) 216-24. PMCID: PMC3047589.


17. Prince C, Secrest A, Mackey RH, Arena VC, Kingsley LA, Orchard TJ. Pulse wave analysis and prevalent cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes. Atherosclerosis. 2010; 213(469-474). PMCID: PMC2997940.


18. Mackey RH, Kuller LH. Blood Pressure and Cognitive Function. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep. 2010 Jul: 4(5):369-375.


19. Watson NL, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Youk AO, Boudreau RM, Mackey RH, Simonsick EM, Rosano C, Hardy SE, Harris TB, Najjar SS, Lakatta EG, Atkinson HH, Johnson KC, Bauer DC, Newman AB. Arterial Stiffness and Gait Speed in Older Adults with and without Peripheral Arterial Disease. Am J Hypertens. 2011 Jan;24(1):90-5. PMCID:PMC3290653.


20. Wildman RP, Kaplan R, Manson JE, Rajkovic A, Connelly SA, Mackey RH, Tinker L, Curb JD, Eaton CB, Wassertheil-Smoller S. Body Size Phenotypes and Inflammation: the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Obesity 2011 2011 Jul;19(7):1482-91. PMCID: PMC3124587.


21. Otvos JD, Mora S, Shalaurova I, Greenland P, Mackey RH, Goff, DH, Jr. Implications of Discordance Between LDL Cholesterol and LDL Particle Number as Assessed in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). J Clin Lipidol 2011 Mar-Apr;5(2):105-13. PMCID: PMC3070150.


22. Soni A, Conroy M, Mackey RH Kuller LH. Ghrelin, Leptin, Adiponectin, and Insulin Levels and Concurrent and Future Weight Change in Overweight Postmenopausal Women – Menopause. 2011; 18(3)296-301. PMCID: PMC3069721.


23. Woodard GA, Brooks MM, Barinas-Mitchell E, Mackey RH, Matthews KA and Sutton-Tyrrell K. Lipids, Menopause, and Early Atherosclerosis in SWAN Heart Women. Menopause. 2011 Apr;18(4):376-84. PMCID: PMC3123389.


24. Kuller LH, Pettee-Gabriel KK, Kinzel LS, Underwood D, Conroy MB, Chang Y, Mackey RH, Edmundowicz D, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kriska AM The Women On the Move through Activity and Nutrition (WOMAN) Study: Final 48-Month Results. Obesity 2012 Mar;20(3):636-43. doi: 10.1038/oby.2011.80. Epub 2011 Apr 14. PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process.


25. Rajpathak SN, Wang T, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Strickler HD, Kaplan RC, McGinn AP, Rohan TE, Scherer PE, Cushman M, Mackey RH, Curb D, Ho GYF. Resistin, but not adiponectin and leptin, is associated with the risk of developing ischemic stroke among postmenopausal women. Stroke 2011Jul;42(7):1813-20. PMCID: PMC Journal - In Process.


26. Woodard G, Mehta V, Mackey RH, Kelsey S, Newman AB, Sutton-Tyrrell K. C-reactive protein is associated with aortic stiffness in a cohort of African-American and white women transitioning through menopause. Menopause 2011 Dec;18(12):1291-7. PMCID: PMC3230700[Available on 2012/12/1].


27. McTigue KM, Mackey RH, Kuller LH. Cardiovascular Complications of Extreme Obesity in Women. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep. 2011 5:246-252.


28. Sekikawa A, Shin C, Curb JD, Barinas-Mitchell E, Masaki K, El-Saed A, Seto T, Mackey RH, Choo J, Fujiyoshi A, Miura K, Edmundowicz D, Kuller LH, Hirotsugu Ueshima , Kim Sutton-Tyrrell Aortic stiffness and calcification: A population-based study of middle-aged African, Japanese, and White American and Korean men, Atherosclerosis, 2012 Jun;222(2):473-7. Epub 2012 Mar 27.


29. Mackey RH, Greenland P, Goff DH Jr, Lloyd-Jones DM, Sibley CT, Mora S. The relationship of HDL particles to carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012 Aug 7;60(6):508-16. PMCID:PMC3411890.


30. Lloyd KD, Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller LH, Mackey RH, Wong EA, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Common carotid artery diameter and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Int J Vasc Med 2012;2012:169323. Epub 2012 Aug 21. PMID:22957258.


31. Mackey RH, Belle SH, Courcoulas AP, Dakin GF, Deveney CW, Flum DR, Garcia L, King WC, Kuller LH, Mitchell JE, Pomp A, Pories WJ, Wolfe BM. The LABS Consortium Writing Group. Distribution of 10-Year and Lifetime Predicted Cardiovascular Risk and Risk Factors in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 Study Prior to Surgery Am J Cardiol. 2012. 110(8):1130-7. PMCID: PMC3462227 [Available on 2013/10/15] NIHMS 386544.


32. Mackey RH, Fanelli TJ Modugno FM, Cauley JA, McTigue KM, Brooks MM, Chlebowski RT, Manson JE, Klug TL, Kip KE, Curb DJ, Kuller LH. Hormone Therapy, Estrogen Metabolism, and Risk of Breast Cancer in the WHI Hormone Therapy Trials. Cancer Epi Biomarkers Prev. 2012 Nov 21(11)2022-32. PMID:22933427 PMCID PMC3493689[Available on 2013/11/1].


33. Kuller LH, Mackey RH. Letter by Kuller and Mackey Regarding Article, “Lipids and Lipoproteins and Risk of Different Vascular Events in the MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study” Circulation. 2012;126:e321.


34. Walitt BT, Mackey RH, Kuller L, Deane KD, Robinson W, Holers VM, Tracey R, Chang Y, Moreland LW. Rheumatoid Arthritis Case Validation Strategies in Large Research Databases: The Women’s Health Initiative Experience. Am J Epidemiol in press.


35. Khan U, Ogorodnikova AD, Xu LX, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Ho GFY, Sowers MF, Rajpathak SN, Allison MA, Mackey RH, Vitolins MZ, Manson JE, Wildman RP. The Adipokine profile of metabolically benign obese postmenopausal women: The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Obesity, in press.


36. McTigue KM, Chang Y, Eaton C, Garcia L, Johnson KC, Lewis CE, Liu S, Mackey RH, Robinson J, Rosal M, Snetselaar L, Valoski A, Kuller LH. WHI WG 432 Severe obesity, heart disease, and death among white, African-American and Hispanic postmenopausal women. Obesity. In press.

Book Chapters

1. Mackey RH, Venkitachalam L, Sutton-Tyrrell K. “Calcifications, arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis” in: Advances in Cardiology: Atherosclerosis, Large Arteries and Cardiovascular Risk. Ed. ME Safar and ED Frohlich. S. Karger AG, Basel. Vol 44:234-44, 2007.


2. Mackey RH, McTigue KM, Kuller LH. “Obesity.” Women and Health. 2nd Ed. Oct 2012. Ed. Goldman MB, Troisi R, Rexrode KM. Elsevier.