Jeanine M. Buchanich, MEd, PhD

Jeanine M. Buchanich, Ph.D., M.Ed., joined the faculty of Pitt Public Health in 2008 and is a Research Associate Professor of Biostatistics.

Dr. Buchanich is leading an initiative to make a Pitt Public Health-held mortality repository more accessible to public health professionals and stakeholders. As part of this effort, she has investigated mortality trends in the US, PA and local county area.

She is particularly interested in patterns in overdose deaths and ways in which to reduce the effect of this deadly epidemic. She has also examined other specific causes of death and patterns by geographic and demographic factors.

 Her other research interests include occupational and environmental epidemiology and she serves as the Deputy Director for the Center for Occupational Biostatistics and Epidemiology (COBE). Dr. Buchanich is currently Principal Investigator (PI) on an investigation of the dust characteristics associated with coal mining and miners’ lung function. She also served as PI on a case ascertainment study of polycythemia vera conducted in conjunction with the PA Department of Health, and a study of community health in Appalachian mining communities.

After experiencing challenges with tracing cohorts to identify incident cancer cases and deaths, she became a strong advocate for making public health data more accessible to researchers and to the public, and has worked with the CDC, Westat, and state cancer registries to implement new strategies allowing easier access to data.

Dr. Buchanich teaches a course in scientific communication skills and directs the statistical consulting laboratory for the department; her professional interests outside of academia involve working with professional societies, such as the American Statistical Association, to improve the communication of statistical and scientific information to the general public and to stakeholders.

1993 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | Bachelor of Science

1996 | University of Pittsburgh School of Education, Pittsburgh, PA | Master of Education

1998 | University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA | Master of Public Health

2007 | University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA | Doctor of Philosophy

BIOS 2087 - Biostatistics Consulting Practicum
BIOS 2058 - Scientific Communication Skills
PH 2011 - Essentials of Public Health (Biostatistics mentor)

Overdoses are the top killer for ages 25-44 in 2013 in Pa: http://www.witf.org/news/2015/07/overdoses-are-the-top-killer-for-ages-25-44-in-2013-in-pa.php

Heroin's Deadly Impact Hits Home In Southwestern Pennsylvania: http://wesa.fm/post/heroins-deadly-impact-hits-home-southwestern-pennsylvania

Modeling the Growth of Opioid Overdose Deaths:blogs.sciencemag.org/sciencehound/2017/06/05/modeling-the-growth-of-opioid-overdose-deaths/

Buchanich JM, Youk AO, Marsh GM, Kennedy KJ, Esmen NA, Lacey SE, Hancock R, Cunningham MA, Lieberman FS, Fleissner ML. Long-term health experience of jet engine manufacturing workers: IV. A comparison of central nervous system cancer ascertainment using mortality and incidence data. Annals of epidemiology. 2010 Oct; 20 (10):759-65. PMID: 20816315.

Buchanich JM, Youk AO, Marsh GM, Kennedy KJ, Lacey SE, Hancock RP, Esmen NA, Cunningham MA, Leiberman FS, Fleissner ML. Long-term health experience of jet engine manufacturing workers: V. Issues with the analysis of non-malignant central nervous system neoplasms. Journal of registry management. 2011 Oct; 38 (3):115-9. PMID: 22223053.

Moreau JF, Buchanich JM, Geskin JZ, Akilov OE, Geskin LJ. Non-random geographic distribution of patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Dermatology Online Journal. 2014 Jul; 20 (7). PMID: 25046454.

Buchanich JM, *Balmert LC, Youk AO, *Woolley SM, Talbott EO. General mortality patterns in Appalachian coal-mining and non-coal-mining counties. Journal of Occupational andEnvironmental Medicine / American College of Occupational and EnvironmentalMedicine. 2014 Nov; 56  (11): 1169-78. PMID: 25376412. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000245.

Talbott E, Stacy S, Brink LL, Sharma R, Buchanich JM. Is there an Association of Circulatory Hospitalizations independent of Mining Employment in Coal Mining and Non-Coal Mining Counties in West Virginia? Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2015 Apr;57(4):e30-6. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000425. PubMed PMID: 25851190.

*Woolley SM, Meacham SL, *Balmert LC, Talbott EO, Buchanich JM. Comparison of Mortality Disparities in Central Appalachian Coal- and Non-Coal-Mining Counties. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2015 Mar 23. PMID:25806416. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000435.

Mertz KJ, Buchanich JM, Washington TL, Irvin-Barnwell EA, Woytowitz DV, Smith RE. Chronic myelogenous leukemia in eastern Pennsylvania: an assessment of registry reporting. Journal of Registry Management. 2015;42(1):9-11. PMID:25961786.

*Balmert LC, Youk AO, *Woolley SM, Talbott EO, Buchanich JM. Heart disease mortality in Appalachian coal-mining counties. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology. 2015 (accepted).

*Balmert LC, Youk AO, *Woolley SM, Talbott EO, Buchanich JM. Respiratory System Cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Non-Malignant Respiratory Disease Mortality in Appalachian Coal Mining and Non-Coal Mining Counties. SME Transactions. 2015 (in print).

Buchanich JM, Talbott EO, *Balmert LC, *Woolley SM, Youk AO. Disparities in Diabetes Mellitus Mortality Rates in Coal Mining and Non-Coal Mining Areas of Appalachia. SME Transactions. 2015 (in print).