YSPH Biostatistics Seminar: "The Jackson Heart Study: An Overview"

NOTE: BIS 525 students are required to attend in person (47 College St., Room 106A). All others are requested to attend via Zoom.

SPEAKER: Loretta Shields, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center

TITLE: “The Jackson Heart Study: An Overview”

ABSTRACT: The Jackson Heart Study (JHS), located in Jackson, MS, is the largest single-site study of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African Americans (AAs). Not only does JHS seek to understand the underlying etiology of CVD and CVD-related outcomes in AAs but also promotes health lifestyles through community education and outreach activities, sponsors undergraduate and graduate research training programs and high school enrichment programs, and encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue biomedical careers.

JHS has been funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for 4 exam periods: exam 1(2000-2004), exam 2 (2005-2008, exam (2009.2012), and exam 4 (2021 onwards). The data collected on JHS participants include information about physical health, psychosocial health, socioeconomic position, family history, biomarkers, and genetics, in addition to the surveillance of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke events.

After approval of a manuscript proposal, the data collected by JHS are used by principal investigators, undergraduate students, graduate students and doctoral candidates for projects, theses, dissertations, presentations, and published manuscripts. Continued research initiatives with JHS data are extremely important in an effort to broaden the understanding of CVD-related risk factors and outcomes in AAs.