Ellen W. Demerath, PhD

BA, Harvard University, in Biological Anthropology
MS, University of Pennsylvania, in Anthropology
PhD, University of Pennsylvania, in Anthropology

Fall 2009
6381: Genetics in Public Health

Research Interests:

Body composition and obesity assessment; Developmental determinants of cardiovascular disease risk; Lifecourse epidemiology; Genetic epidemiology of obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease; Biomarkers of biological senescence

Recent Publications:

Demerath EW, Sun SS, Rogers N, Lee M, Reed D, Choh AC, Couch W, Czerwinski SA, Chumlea WC, Siervogel RM, and Towne B (in press) The anatomical patterning of visceral adipose tissue: Race, sex, and age variation. Obesity.

Demerath EW, Choh AC, Czerwinski SA, Lee M, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Duren DL, Sherwood RJ, Blangero J, Towne B, Siervogel RM. (2007) Genetic and environmental influences on infant weight and weight change: The Fels Longitudinal Study. Am. J. Human Biol.

Demerath EW, Ritter KJ, Couch WA, Rogers NL, Moreno GM, Choh AC, Lee M, Remsberg K, Czerwinski SA, Chumlea WC, Siervogel RM., Towne B (2007) Validity of a new automated software program for visceral adipose tissue estimation. International Journal of Obesity. 31(2):285-91.

Rogers NL, Cole SA, Lan H-C, Crossa A, Demerath EW (2007) Test of a new non-invasive DNA collection method for epidemiological studies. American Journal of Human Biology 19: 319-26.

Czerwinski SA, Lee M, Choh AC, Wurzbacher K, Demerath EW, Towne B, Siervogel RM (2007) Genetic factors in physical growth and development and their relationship to subsequent health outcomes. Am. J. Hum. Biol.

Demerath EW, Shen W, Lee M, Choh AC, Czerwinski SA, Siervogel RM, and Towne B (2007) Approximation of total visceral adipose tissue with a single magnetic resonance image. Am J Clin Nutr 85(2):362-8.

Arya R, Demerath EW, Jenkinson CP, Cole SA, Puppala S, Farook V, Fowler S, Schneider J, Granato R, Dyer TD, Almasy L, Comuzzie AG, Siervogel RM, Bradshaw B, DeFronzo RA, MacCluer J, Stern MP, Towne B, Blangero J, Duggirala R (2006) A Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) on Chromosome 6q Influences Birth Weight in Two Independent Family Studies. Human Molecular Genetics 15 (9): 1569-79.

Lee M, Czerwinski SA, Choh AC, Demerath EW, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Towne B, Siervogel RM. (2006) Quantitative genetic analysis of cellular adhesion molecules: The Fels Longitudinal Study. Atherosclerosis 185: 150-158.

Demerath EW, Schubert CM, Li J, Maynard LM, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Pickoff A, Towne B, Czerwinski SA, Siervogel RM (2006) Do changes in BMI percentile reflect changes in body composition in children? Data from the Fels Longitudinal Study. Pediatrics 117: e1-e9.

Towne B, Czerwinski SA, Demerath EW, Roche AF, Siervogel RM (2005) Heritability of age at menarche in girls from the Fels Longitudinal Study. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 128: 210-9.

Choh AC, Czerwinski SA, Lee M, Demerath EW, Wilson AF, Towne B, Siervogel RM. (2006) Quantitative genetic analysis of blood pressure reactivity to orthostatic tilt using principal components analysis. J Hum Hypertens 20: 281-9.

Schubert CM, Rogers NL, Remsberg KE, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Demerath EW, Czerwinski SA, Towne B, Siervogel RM (2006) Lipids, lipoproteins, lifestyle, adiposity and fat-free mass during middle age: The Fels Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Obesity 30(2):251-260.

Remsberg K, Demerath EW, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Sievogel RM (2005) Early menarche and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescent girls: the Fels Longitudinal Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 90: 2718-2724.

McIntyre, M, Ellison PT, Lieberman D, Demerath EW, and Towne B (2005) The Development of Sex Differences in Digital Formula from Infancy in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Proceedings of the Royal Society- Biological Sciences. 272: 1473-79.

Choh AC, Czerwinski SA, Lee M, Demerath EW, Wilson AF, Towne B, Siervogel RM (2005). Quantitative genetic analysis of blood pressure response during the cold pressor test. Am J Hypertension 18:1211-17.

Demerath EW, Towne B, Chumlea WC, Sun SS, Czerwinski SA, Remsberg KE, Siervogel RM (2004) Recent Decline in Age at Menarche: The Fels Longitudinal Study. American Journal of Human Biology 16: 453-457.

Demerath EW, Cameron N, Gillman M, Towne B, and Siervogel RM (2004) Telomeres, telomerase and the fetal origins of cardiovascular disease: a review. Human Biology 76:127-146.

Demerath EW, Li J, Sun SS, Chumlea WC, Remsberg KE, Czerwinski SA, Towne B, Siervogel RM (2004) 50-year trends in serial BMI during adolescence in girls: The Fels Longitudinal Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 80:441-446.

Demerath EW, Muratova V, Spangler E, Li J, Minor VE, and Neal WA (2003) School-based obesity screening in rural Appalachia. Preventive Medicine 37: 553-60.

Siervogel RM, Demerath EW, Schubert C, Remsberg RE, Chumlea WC, Sun S, Czerwinski SA, Towne B (2003) Puberty and Body Composition. Hormone Research 60(suppl.1): 36-45.

Professional Experience:

2007-present: Study Section member, Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity, and Diabetes Study Section, National Institutes of Health

2007-present: Adjunct Associate Professor, Wright State University School of Medicine

2005-2007: Associate Director, Lifespan Health Research Center, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH

2004-2007: Associate Professor, Department of Community Health, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH

2004-2006: Contract Appointment, Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology (GCG) Program, National Institute on Aging (NIA), Bethesda, MD

2000-2004: Assistant Profressor, Department of Community Health, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH

1997-2000: Post-doctoral Research Associate, Lifespan Health Research Center, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH

1995-1996: Instructor, Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania

1994-1995: Research Associate, National Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea

Honors:

2007: Fellow of the American Heart Association

Contact

Mailing Address:
Division of Epidemiology & Community Health
1300 2nd Street S, Suite #300
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone (Work): (612) 612-624-8231

Email: ewd@umn.edu