Emma J.M. Barinas-Mitchell, PhD

Dr. Barinas-Mitchell’s research focuses on the application of subclinical vascular measures to the study of the natural history and prevention of CVD. As Co-Director (2006-2012) and Director (December 2012-present) of the University of Pittsburgh Ultrasound Research Lab (URL), she has collaborated on the application of early markers of vascular aging for numerous NIH-funded observational and intervention studies, including study design and implementation, oversight of collection of primary and secondary vascular outcome measures, data management and analyses of these vascular measures, and interpretation of these data for presentation and peer-reviewed publications. She is also actively involved in her own research on vascular aging in women and in investigating the role of obesity, related cardiometabolic disturbances, and race/ethnicity in the development and progression of subclinical CVD.  Dr. Barinas-Mitchell is one of the Co-Directors of the CVD Epidemiology T32 training program and actively mentors students and trainees at the master's, doctoral and post-doctoral level.

1991 | Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA | BA Chemistry
1998 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | PhD Epidemiology
2001 | University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh, PA | Post-doctoral training in CVD Epidemiology

EPIDEM 2152: Workshop in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (2007-2012, Co-Instructor; 2012- Present, Instructor)
EPIDEM 2150: Epidemiology Cardiovascular Diseases (2011-Present, Guest Lecturer)                                                                                                                        

Co-Director, CVD Training Program (2012-Present)

• Application of subclinical CVD methodology in CVD epidemiology
• Cardiometabolic risk factors related to vascular aging in Women
• Racial/ethnic disparities in CVD risk

Current Research Support:

Co-Investigator

• Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms as a Marker of Brain Aging in Women (NIA)  2016-2021 (PI: R. Thurston)
• Vascular Moderators of Amyloid-Related Decline:From normal cognition to dementia (NIA) 2016-2021 (PI: O.Lopez)
• Neural Reactivity to Stress & Atherosclerosis (NHLBI) 2008-2017 (PI: P. Gianaros)

• Study of Women's Health Across the Nation - Coordinating Center (NIA) 2009-2012 (PI: K Sutton-Tyrrell), 2012- 2019 (PI: M Brooks)   
• Resistance and Cardiorespiratory Time-matched Exercise in Youth (NHLBI) 2013-2018 (PI:S Lee)
• Multicenter Study on Exceptional Survival in Families (NIA) 2014-2019 (PI:A Newman)   
• Dipyrimadole as a Modulator of HIV-1 Inflammation by Adenosine Regulation (NIAID) 2014-2018 (PI: S Riddler)
• Depression and Subsequent Cardiac Risk Factors (NHLBI) 2015-2019 (PI:  M Kovacs)
  
• Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Cardiometabolic Risk (NIA) 2015-2020 (PI:D Buysse)
  
  

Completed Research Support (past 4 years):

Principal Investigator

• Clinical Trial to Reverse Early Arterial Stiffening (NHLBI) 2013

Co-Investigator

• Role of Femoral Atherosclerosis in Functional Status, CVD Events and Mortality (NHLBI) 2013-2017 (PI: C Wassel)

• Mechanisms Linking Hot Flashes to Cardiovascular Risk (NHLBI) 2011-2016 (PI: R Thurston
• Progression of Cardiovascular Disease in Lupus (NIAMS) 2006-2013 (PI: S Manzi)

• Clinical Trial to Reverse Early Arterial Stiffening (NHLBI) 2006-2012 (PI: K. Sutton-Tyrrell)
• Preterm Delivery and Maternal CVD Risk (NHLBI) 2010-2014 (Co-PIs: J. Catov & C Holtzman)
• In vivo PiB Pet Amyloid Imaging:Normals, MCI & Dementia (NIA) 2010-2013 (Co-PI: O Lopez, W Klunk)

Cortés, Y.I., Catov, J., Brooks, M., Isasi C., Jackson, E., Harlow, S., Matthews, K., Thurston, R., Barinas-Mitchell, E. Reproductive factors associated with subclinical vascular measures at late midlife: SWAN. Circulation 2017;135:AP316.

Duan C, Broadwin R, Talbott EO, Brooks MM, Matthews KA, Barinas-Mitchell E. Early Exposure to PM2.5 and Ozone During the Menopausal Transition as Predictor of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Late Midlife Women: the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Circulation. March 2017, 135:AP067.

Lott M, Kriska A, Barinas-Mitchell E, Wang L, Storti K, Winger D, Conroy M. Impact of Lifestyle Strategies on Long-Term Physical Activity and Weight. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2017 (In Press).

Wassel, CL, Ellia, AM. Suder NC, Barinas-Mitchell E, Rifkin DE, Forbang NI, Denenberg JO, Marasco AM, McQuaide BJ, Jenny NS, Allison MA, Ix JH, Criqui MH. Femoral Artery Atherosclerosis is associated with
Physical Function across the Spectrum of the Ankle Brachial Index: The San Diego Population Study (SDPS). JAHA 2017 (In Press).

Matthews KA, El Khoudary SR, Brooks MM, Derby CA, Harlow SD, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Thurston RC. Lipid changes around the final menstrual period predict carotid subclinical disease in postmenopausal women. Stroke 2017; 48 91): 70-76. PMID 27909203; PMCID: PMC5183479.

Thurston RC, Chang Y, Barinas-Mitchell E, Jennings JR, Landsittel DP, Santoro N, von Känel R, Matthews KA. Menopausal hot flashes and carotid intima media thickness among midlife women. Stroke 2016; 47(12):2910-2915. PMID: 27834746; PMCID: PMC5134903.

Ahuja V, Masaki K, Vishnu A, Ye L, Wilcox B, Wassel C, Fujiyoshi A, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Miura K, Ueshima H, Rodriguez BL, Edmundowicz D, Sekikawa A; ERA JUMP Study. Progression of coronary arery calcification in Japanese American men and white men in the ERA JUMP study. International Journal of Cardiology 2016; 14(228):672-676. PMID: 27883980.

El Khoudary SR, Santoro N, Chen H-Y, Tepper PG, Brooks MM, Thurston RC, Janssen I, Harlow SD, Barinas-Mitchell E, Selzer F, Derby CA, Jackson EA, McConnell D, Matthews KA.  Trajectories of estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone over the menopause transition and early markers of atherosclerosis after menopause.  European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2016; 23(7):694-703. NIHMSID:NIHMS770464 PubMed [journal] PMID: 26385249,

Wang NC, Matthews, KA, Barinas-Mitchell EJM, Chang CH, and El Khoudary SR. Inflammatory/Hemostatic Biomarkers and Coronary Artery Calcium Progression in Women at Midlife (From the Study of Women's
Health Across the Nation [SWAN] Heart Study). American journal of cardiology 2016; 118(3): 311-8. PMID: 27289291; PMCID: PMC4949081.

Niemczyk NA, Catov JM, Barinas-Mitchell E, McClure CK, Roberts JM, Tepper PG, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Nulliparity is associated with less healthy markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease in young women with overweight or obesity. Obesity 2015 May;23(5):1085-91. doi: 10.1002/oby.21044. Epub 2015 Apr 10. PMID: 25866258 [PubMed - in process] PMID: 25866258; PMCID: PMC4414732

Horner K Kuk JL, Barinas-Mitchell E, Drant S, DeGroff C, Lee SJ. Effect of Aerobic versus Resistance Exercise on Pulse Wave Velocity,Intima Media Thickness and Left Ventricular Mass in Obese Adolescent.
Pediatric Exercise Science 2015 Nov; 27(4):494-502.  doi: 10.1123/pes.2015-0067  PMID: 26181766 [PubMed – in process].

Thompson T, Shields KJ, Barinas-Mitchell E, Newman A, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Calcified carotid artery plaques predict CVD outcomes in the elderly.  J Hyper 2015 Apr;33(4):810-7. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000488.  PMID: 25915886  [PubMed - inprocess].

Subauste A, Gianani R, Chang AM, Plunkett C, Pietropaolo SL, Zhang YJ, Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller LH, Galecki A, Halter JB, Pietropaolo M. Islet autoimmunity identifies a unique pattern of impaired pancreatic beta-cell function, markedly reduced pancreatic beta cell mass and insulin resistance in clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes. PLoS One 2014 Sep 16;9(9): e106537. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106537. eCollection 2014. PMID: 25226365. PMCID: PMC4165581.

Ahuja V, Kadowaki T, Evans RW, Kadota A, Okamura T, El Khoudary SR, Fujiyoshi A, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Hisamatsu T, Vishnu A, Miura K, Maegawa H, El-Saed A, Kashiwagi A, Kuller LH, Ueshima H, Sekikawa A, ERA JUMP Study Group. Comparison of HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß% and disposition index between US white men and Japanese men in Japan: the ERA JUMP study. Diabetologia. 2015 Feb;58(2):265-71. PMID:25316435. PMCID:PMC4289411. doi:10.1007/s00125-014-3414-6.

Mackey RH, McTigue KM, Chang YF, Barinas-Mitchell E, Evans RW, Tinker LF, Lewis CE, Manson JE, Stefanick ML, Howard BV, Phillips LS, Liu S, Kulick D, Kuller LH. Lipoprotein particles and size, total and high molecular weight adiponectin, and leptin in relation to incident coronary heart disease among severely obese postmenopausal women: The Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. BBA Clinical. 2015 Jun;3:243-250. PMID: 25825692.

El Khoudary SR, Chen H, Barinas-Mitchell E, Mcclure C, Selzer F, Karvonen-Gulierrez C, Jackson E, Ylitalo K, Sternfeld B. Simple Physical Performance Measures and Vascular Health in Late Midlife Women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Int J Cardiol. 2015 Mar 1;182;115-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.12.042. Epub 2014 Dec 23. PMID: 25577747. [PubMed - in process] PMCID: PMC4382424 [Available on 2016-03-01]

Vishnu A, Choo J, Wilcox B, Hisamatsu T, Barinas-Mitchell E.J.M., Fujiyoshi A, Mackey RH, Kadota A, Ahuja V, Kadowaki T, Edmundowicz D, Miura K, Rodriguez BL, Kuller LH, Shin C, Masaki K, Ueshima H, Sekikawa A, ERA JUMP Study Group. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is associated with coronary calcification among 1131 healthy middle-aged men. Int. J Cardiol, 2015 June 15;189:67-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.04.020. Epub 2015 Apr 3. PMID: 25885874 [PubMed - in process] PMCID: PMC4446167

Thompson T, Shields KJ, Barinas-Mitchell E, Newman A, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Calcified carotid artery plaques predict CVD outcomes in the elderly. J Hyper 2015 Apr;33(4):810-7. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000488. PMID: 25915886.

Thurston RC, El Khoudary SR, Derby CA, Barinas-Mitchell E, Lewis TT, McClure CK, Matthews KA. Low socioeconomic status over 12 years and subclinical cardiovascular disease: the study of women's health across the nation. Stroke; A Journal of Cerebral Circulation. 2014 Apr; 45 (4):954-60. PMCID: PMC3981101.

Althouse AD, Abbott JD, Forker AD, Bertolet M, Barinas-Mitchell E, Thurston RC, Mulukutla S, Aboyans V, Brooks MM, for the BARI 2D Study Group. Risk Factors for Incident Peripheral Arterial Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: Results From the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes Trial. Diabetes Care. 2014 Mar 4. PMID: 24595631.

Vishnu A, Choo J, Masaki KH, Mackey RH, Barinas-Mitchell E, Shin C, Willcox BJ, El-Saed A, Seto TB, Fujiyoshi A, Miura K, Lee S, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH,Ueshima H, Sekikawa A; ERA JUMP Study Group. Particle numbers of lipoproteinsubclasses and arterial stiffness among middle-aged men from the ERA JUMP study. J Hum Hypertens. 2014 Feb;28(2):111-7. PubMed PMID: 23823580; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3800263. PMID: 24578209.

Sekikawa A, Miura K, Lee S, Fujiyoshi A, Edmundowicz D, Kadowaki T, Evans RW, Kadowaki S, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Okamura T, Bertolet M, Masaki KH, Nakamura Y, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Willcox BJ, Kadota A, Seto TB, Maegawa H, Kuller LH, Ueshima H, for the ERAJSG. Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and incidence rate of coronary artery calcification in japanese men in japan and white men in the USA: Population based prospective cohort study. Heart. 2013

Hughes TM, Kuller LH, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, McDade EM, Klunk WE, Cohen AD, Mathis CA, Dekosky ST, Price JC, Lopez OL. Arterial Stiffness and β-Amyloid Progression in Nondemented Elderly Adults. JAMA Neurology. 2014 May 1;71(5):562-8. PMID: 24687165.

Hughes TM, Kuller LH, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Mackey RH, McDade EM, Klunk WE, Aizenstein HJ, Cohen AD, Snitz BE, Mathis CA, Dekosky ST, Lopez OL. Pulse wave velocity is associated with beta-amyloid deposition in the brains of very elderly adults. Neurology. 2013;81:1711-1718

Catov JM, Dodge R, Barinas-Mitchell E, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Yamal JM, Piller LB, Ness RB. Prior preterm birth and maternal subclinical cardiovascular disease 4 to 12 years after pregnancy. Journal of women's health. 2013;22:835-843

Sekikawa A, Shin C, Masaki KH, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Hirooka N, Willcox BJ, Choo J, White J, Evans RW, Fujiyoshi A, Okamura T, Miura K, Muldoon MF, Ueshima H, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, for the ERAJSG. Association of total marine fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, with aortic stiffness in koreans, whites, and japanese americans. American journal of hypertension. 2013

Shields KJ, Barinas-Mitchell E, Ping T, Gingo MR, Kao AH, Manzi S, Sutton-Tyrrell, K. Perivascular Adipose Tissue of the Descending Thoracic Aorta is Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Vascular Calcification in Women. Atherosclerosis 2013May; 21 (5):1031-8. PMCID: PMC3695405. PMID: 23784907

Cooper J, Fried L, Tepper P, Barinas-Mitchell E, Conroy M, Evans R, Brooks M, Woodard G, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Changes in serum aldosterone are associated with changes in obesity-related factors in normotensive overweight and obese young adults. Hypertension Research 2013 (In Press).

Lloyd K, Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller L, Mackey RH, Wong EA, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Common Carotid Artery Diameter and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight or Obese Postmenopausal Women. International Journal of Vascular Medicine 2012; 169323. PMCID: PMC3432379.

Cooper JN, Barinas-Mitchell E, Buchanich JM, Youk A, Brooks MM, Conroy M, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Reductions in arterial stiffness with weight loss in overweight and obese young adults: potential mechanisms. Atherosclerosis  2012;232:485-90. PMID:22703865.

Cooper JN, Columbus ML, Shields KJ, Asubonteng J, Meyer ML, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Goodpaster BH, Delany JP, Jakicic JM, Barinas-Mitchell E. Effects of an intensive behavioral weight loss intervention consisting of caloric restriction with or without physical activity on common carotid artery remodeling in severely obese adults. Metabolism. 2012 May 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22579053.

Sekikawa A, Shin C, Curb JD, Barinas-Mitchell E, Masaki K, El-Saed A, Seto TB, Mackey RH, Choo J, Fujiyoshi A, Miura K, Edmundowicz D, Kuller LH, Ueshima H, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Aortic stiffness and calcification in men in a population-based international study. Atherosclerosis. 2012 Jun;222(2):473-7. PubMed PMID: 22537531.

El Khoudary SR, Barinas-Mitchell E, White J, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH, Curb JD, Shin C, Ueshima H, Masaki K, Evans RW, Miura K, Edmundowicz D, Sekikawa A, for the ERA JUMP Study Group. Adiponectin, systolic blood pressure, and alcohol consumption are associated with more aortic stiffness progression among apparently healthy men. Atherosclerosis. 2012 Sep 23. PMID:23040831.

Wildman RP, Janssen I, Khan UI, Thurston R, Barinas-Mitchell E, El Khoudary SR, Everson-Rose SA, Kazlauskaite R, Matthews KA, Sutton-Tyrrell K.  Subcutaneous adipose tissue in relation to subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiometabolic risk factors in midlife women.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011;93(4):719-26. PMID:21346089

Birru MS, Matthews KA, Thurston RC,Brooks MM, Ibrahim S, Barinas-Mitchell E, Janssen I, Sutton-Tyrell K. African-American Ethnicity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors are Related to Aortic Pulse-Wave Velocity Progression. American Journal of Hypertension 2011; 24(7):809–815. PMID: 21490691.

Njoroge JN, El Khoudary SR, Fried LF, Barinas-Mitchell E, Sutton-Tyrrell K. High Urinary Sodium Is Associated With Increased Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Normotensive Overweight and Obese Adults. American journal of hypertension 2010;24:70-6.

Libman IM, Barinas-Mitchell E, Marcovina S, Bacha F, Hannon T, Tfayli H, Lee SJ, Bansal S, Robertson R, Arslanian S. β-cell Autoimmunity in Overweight Non-Diabetic Youth: Any Implications? Pediatric Diabetes 2010.

Libman IM, Barinas-Mitchell E, Bartucci A, Chaves-Gnecco D, Robertson R, Arslanian S. Fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose and insulin: relationship with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in overweight non-diabetic children. Diabetes Care 2010;33:2674-76.

Woodard GA, Brooks MM, Barinas-Mitchell E, Mackey RH, Matthews KA, Sutton-Tyrrell K. Lipids, Menopause and Early Atherosclerosis in SWAN Heart Women. Menopause 2010 Nov 19.  PMID:21107300.

Pietropaolo M, Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller LH. Heterogeneity of Diabetes Mellitus. Unraveling a Dispute: Is Systemic Inflammation Related to Islet Autoimmunity? Diabetes 2007; 56:1189-1197.

Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller LH, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Hegazzi R, Harper P, Mancino J, Kelley DE. Effect of Weight Loss and Nutritional Intervention on Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.  Diabetes Care 2006;29:2218-2222.

Barinas-Mitchell E, Kuller L, Pietropaolo S, Zhang Y-J,  Henderson T, Pietropaolo M. The Prevalence of GAD65 Autoantibodies by Glucose Tolerance Status in Elderly Patients from the Cardiovascular Health Study.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006;91:2871-2877.

Barinas-Mitchell E, Pietropaolo S, Zhang Y-J,  Henderson T, Trucco M, Kuller L, Pietropaolo M. Islet cell autoimmunity in a Triethnic Adult Population of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III.  Diabetes 2004;53: 1293-1302.

Schauer PR, Burguera B, Ikramuddin S, Cottam D, Gourash W, Hamad G, Eid GM, Mattar S, Ramanathan R, Barinas-Mitchell E, Rao RH, Kuller L, Kelley D.  The Effect of Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass (LGBP) on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Annals of Surgery 2003:238:467-485.

Barinas-Mitchell E, Cushman M, Meilahn EN, Tracy RP, Kuller LH. Associations between C-Reactive Protein, Obesity, Weight Gain, and Hormone Replacement Therapy in Healthy Post-Menopausal Women. American Journal of Epidemiology 2001;153:1094-1101.

Pietropaolo M, Barinas-Mitchell E, Pietropaolo SL, Kuller LH, Trucco M. Evidence of Islet Cell Autoimmunity in Elderly Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes 2000;49:32-38.