Marnie Bertolet, PhD

Research Interests 

My research interests focus on the many uses of statistics in public health.  My devotion to statistics stems from the diversity of applications to which statistics can be applied.  I came to public health after a career in telecommunications, where I was a reliability and quality engineer performing analyses analogous to “consumer reports” for telecommunication equipment. 

My collaborative research currently focuses longitudinal, repeated measure and survival analysis methods in clinical trials and observational studies. Examples include:

• Myocardial Infarction and Transfusion
• Sickle Cell Disease and Cardiovascular Risk - Red Cell Exchange 
• Trauma Induced Coagulopathy
• Pre-Term Birth and Cardiovascular Disease in Women
• Hemophilia Inhibitor Prevention and Eradication Trials Platform

My methodological research currently focuses Survey Sampling, Bayesian Analysis, Causal Inference, Adaptive Designs and methodology needed to support my collaborative research.  This includes the following topics

• Inverse probability weight modeling
• Bayesian interim monitoring of clinical trials
• Bayesian designed clinical trials with associated simulations to identify trial characteristics
• Classification and Regression Trees
• Bayesian latent class models
• Bayesian Network Meta Analysis

My research support comes from the following sources.
 

• The Trans-Agency Research Consortium for Trauma Induced Coagulopathy (TACTIC, NIH/NHLBI)
• Clinical and Translational Science Institute DBE Core (CTSI-DBE, NIH/NHLBI)
• Myocardial Infarction and Transfusion (MINT, NIH/NHLBI)
• Shared Antecedents to Pre-Term Birth and Cardiovascular Disease in Women (NIH/NHLBI)
• Sickle Cell Disease and Cardiovascular Risk - Red Cell Exchange Trial (SCD-CARRE, NIH/NHLBI)

Honors and Awards 
 

• Diversity and Inclusion Certificate, 2018
• Diversity in the Curriculum Award, from the University of Pittsburgh Provost 2017
• Certificate in Teaching Excellence from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health 2012
• Student of the Year Award, American Statistical Association, Pittsburgh Chapter 2008 
• Health Policy Student Paper Award, Joint Statistical Meetings, American Statistical Association, 2004 
• Most Outstanding Master of Engineering Student Award  Cornell University 1995

Teaching 
My teaching focuses on statistical methods in epidemiology.  In addition to mentoring students and participating on student committees, I teach the following courses:

• Fall Term: University of Pittsburgh, EPIDEM 2181 – Design of Clinical Trials 
• Fall Term: University of Pittsburgh, EPIDEM 2215 – Teaching Practicum
• Various Terms.  University of Pittsburgh: Intergroup Dialogue Workshop

To keep up to date with new teaching practices, I attend many of the CTL (center for teaching and learning) courses on good teaching practices.  I specifically focus on using active learning techniques, and incorporating diversity within the classroom.  I also participated in two programs to further my teaching education:

• Carnegie Mellon University – Documentation of Teaching Effectiveness – 2008
• Graduate School of Public Health – University of Pittsburgh  - Certificate of Teaching Excellence – 2012

I currently advise one PhD student in epidemiology and am a committee member of three other PhD students in epidemiology.  I have been primary advisor for:

• Two compeleted PhD Epidemiology students.
• Five completed MPH Epidemiology students.
• Two completed MS Epidemiology students

​In addition, I have served on 9 masters student committes (Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research) and 6 PhD committees (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Rehabilitation Science and Technology)

Service
My service varies from reviewing journal articles, participating in grant reviews and serving on various local and national committees.  I see service as an excuse to expose as many people as possible to the wonderful power of statistics.  
 

Graduate School of Public Health and Department Service

I have participated in the following committees

• GSPH School wide Acceptance Students Day 
• GSPH School-wide Dean’s Day Judge
• GSPH Faculty Diversity Committee/Diversity and Climate Committee
• Biostatistics Department Public Health Preliminary Exam Committee
• Epidemiology Department Preliminary Exam Committee

University Service
 

• Institutional Data Safety Monitoring Boards, currently active
  • ​Effect of Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) on Diabetes Self-Management and Glycemic Control: DIabetes OSA Treatment Trial (DOTT)
  • G2DM Study: Comparison of Two Screening Strategies for Gestational Diabetes.
  • ​Participated on 5 iDSMBs that have been completed.
• Epidemiology Department Preliminary Exam Committee

 National Service 
 

• ACCF/AHA Methodology Workshop on Guideline Development and Methodology Review
• President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Statistical Association, 2013-2014
• Member of an Industry Sponsored Data and Safety Monitoring Board for the Placebo-Controlled Effectiveness in Pulmonary Hypertension Shunting (PENS)
• Member of an NHLBI Observational Safety Monitoring Board, Sickle Cell Diseease - Implementation Consortium (SCD-IC)

I reviewed journal articles for the following journals in 2018-2019

• Circulation 
• Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

I have participated as an ad-hoc member in the following NIH grant/contract reviews

• Grand Opportunities Phase II ARRA Grants
• Science Moving Towards Research Translation and Therapy 
• Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Centers (P30 Center Core Grant)

First Author Publications, High Impact Publications and Publications between 2019-2020

Lenger S, Bradley M, Thomas D, Bertolet M, Lowder J, Sutcliffe S. D-mannose vs other agents for recurrent urinary tract prevention in adult women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (Accepted at AJOG on 5/28/2020)

Sun B, Bertolet M, Brooks MM, Hubel C, Lewis C, Gunderson E, Catov J. Life Course Changes in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Associated with Preterm Delivery: The 30-Year Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Journal of the American Heart Association (accepted 5/21/2020)

Catov J, Sun B, Bertolet M, Snyder G, Lewis C, Allen N, Shikany J, Ingram K, Appiah D, Gunderson E.  Changes in cardiometabolic risk factors before and after gestational diabetes: A prospective life course analysis in CARDIA women.  Obesity (accepted 3/31/2020)

Sun B, Parks WT, Simhan HN, Bertolet M, Catov JM. Early pregnancy immune profile and preterm birth classified according to uteroplacental lesions. Placenta. 2020 Jan 1;89:99-106. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.12.007. Epub 2019 Dec 10. PubMed PMID: 32056560

Bertolet M, Brooks MM, Carson JL. Commentary on Engen et al: Risk-based, dynamic, process-oriented monitoring strategies and their burden. Clin Trials. 2020 Feb;17(1):15-17. doi: 10.1177/1740774519881617. Epub 2019 Oct 24. PubMed PMID: 31647327.

Bertolet M, Brooks MM, Bittner V. Tree-based identification of subgroups for time-varying covariate survival data. Statistical methods in medical research. 2016 Feb; 25 (1):488-501. PMID: 23070595. PMCID: PMC5575747.  doi: 10.1177/0962280212460442.

Jacobs AK, Kushner FG, Ettinger SM, Guyton RA, Anderson JL, Ohman EM, Albert NM, Antman EM, Arnett DK, Bertolet M, Bhatt DL, Brindis RG, Creager MA, DeMets DL, Dickersin K, Fonarow GC, Gibbons RJ, Halperin JL, Hochman JS, Koster MA, Normand SL, Ortiz E, Peterson ED, Roach WH Jr, Sacco RL, Smith SC Jr, Stevenson WG, Tomaselli GF, Yancy CW, Zoghbi WA, Harold JG, He Y, Mangu PB, Qaseem A, Sayre MR, Somerfield MR. ACCF/AHA clinical practice guideline methodology summit report: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Journal of The American College of Cardiology. 2013 Jan 15; 61 (2):213-65. PMID: 23238451. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.09.025.

Jacobs AK, Kushner FG, Ettinger SM, Guyton RA, Anderson JL, Ohman EM, Albert NM, Antman EM, Arnett DK, Bertolet M, Bhatt DL, Brindis RG, Creager MA, DeMets DL, Dickersin K, Fonarow GC, Gibbons RJ, Halperin JL, Hochman JS, Koster MA, Normand SL, Ortiz E, Peterson ED, Roach WH Jr, Sacco RL, Smith SC Jr, Stevenson WG, Tomaselli GF, Yancy CW, Zoghbi WA. ACCF/AHA clinical practice guideline methodology summit report: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2013 Jan 15; 127 (2):268-310. PMID: 23230312. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e31827e8e5f.

A complete list of publications can be seen at - (both are clickable links)

Pubmed 

OCRID