Assaf, Annlouise

Annlouise R Assaf

Adjunct Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice

Overview

Brief Bio

Professor Assaf is a pharmacoepidemiologist who is currently a Senior Director and Enterprise Benefit Risk Medical Director in Pfizer Inc's Chief Medical Office. In this role, she partners to evolve the science and practice of benefit risk to inform better drug development, healthcare decisions, and outcomes for patients. A focus of her work is on health information equity and improving health literacy and patient-centered medication prescribing so that patients can make informed shared decisions about their treatment with their healthcare providers, use their medications safely and appropriately, and improve value outcomes. She also is the founder and mentor of the Pfizer/Brown pre-doctoral fellowship in Epidemiology.

Dr. Assaf served as principal investigator of the Vanguard Clinical Center for Clinical Trails and Observational Study of the Women's Health Initiative-East. This $628 million, 40-site clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of measures to prevent heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Dr. Assaf also serves as Director of Community Health Research at the Brown Center for Primary Care and Prevention at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island and has been instrumental in brining in over 55 million dollars in research grants and contracts.

Funded by the National Institute of Health, 160,000 women throughout the United States are taking part the trials, which represent the largest federal study ever conducted on women's health. The three main components of the 15-year study consist of a controlled clinical trial, an observational study, and a community study. Assaf's site has recruited more study participants than any other Vanguard site, with more than 6,000 women from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts participating in the study.

In a related study, Professor Assaf was an investigator on a memory study (WHI-MS), looking at whether hormone replacement therapy can delay the onset of dementia-related diseases in postmenopausal women ages 50 to 70. In the course of her career she has also led numerous studies looking at heart disease prevention. She served as the Director of Evaluation for the Pawtucket Heart Health Program from 1984-1996, as well as co-principal investigator and assistant program director. Other past projects include serving as PI for National Evaluation of Project LEAN, funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, co-investigator on "Minimal Contact Education for Cholesterol Change, funded by the NHLBI, and as a key investigator on several other heart health related studies.

Dr. Assaf has taught the medical student clerkship at Brown and courses in the MPH program. She routinely lectures at medical conferences worldwide. She was a US scientific exchange fellow with the former Federal Republic of Germany. She has been or is currently a member of several professional societies including: the American College of Epidemiology, the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE), the Cardiovascular Health Advisory Council, the Leadership Committee of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPOR); and the Women and Heart Disease Task Force.

Brown Affiliations

Health Services, Policy and Practice

Research Areas

Research

Research Overview

Dr. Assaf's past research was in chronic disease epidemiology, specifically cardiovascular and cancer epidemiology and prevention. Her current research focuses on the following: Pharmacoepidemiology; health economics and outcomes research; clinical trials; qualitative evaluation; women's health issues and health risks in postmenopausal women including heart disease; osteoporosis; cancer; effects of diet; hormone therapy; and calcium and vitamin D supplements.

Dr. Assaf joined Pfizer in 2002 after many years in academic medicine and clinical research at Brown Medical School. Her first role at Pfizer was as Epidemiology Therapeutic Area Head in the Risk Management and Pharmacovigilance group in New London, CT where she provided oversight for a global team of epidemiologists. Since then, she has held several leadership positions at Pfizer including: Sr. Director/ Epidemiologist - Global Market Access- Health Economics, Epidemiology, & HTA; Global HEOR Therapeutic Area Lead for Women’s Health, Pain, CNS/ Depression; Outcomes Research Cox-2 lead; and Therapeutic Area Group Head, Epidemiology -WWD Safety and Risk Management; and Senior Medical Director and Medical Affairs Product Lead, working in the area of Women's Health. Currently she serves as Senior Director and Patient Health Activation Expert in the Chief Medical Office at Pfizer.

Research Statement

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is the largest clinical trial ever conducted. It is designed to study diseases which debilitate women in their postmenopausal years and limit the length of their life as well as their quality of life. Findings from the Women's Health Initiative will help women better understand how to prevent, delay, or treat many illnesses common to postmenopausal women. The effects of hormone therapy, diet, and supplementation with calcium and vitamin D are being studied in the clinical trial of WHI. The observational trial of WHI is assessing the health, risk factor behavior, and lifestyles of postmenopausal women.

Funded Research

(All amounts Direct Costs only unless otherwise stated)

20022009 Clinical Centers for the Osteoarthritis Initiative (Principal Investigator), National Institutes of Health (RFP) NIH-NIAMS-02-03 (Total Budget $8,961,185), (PI from 20022003; Consultant from 2003).

2002-Present A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Fixed Dose,Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Toleration of Oral Sildenafil Citrate Administered for 12 Weeks to Post-Menopausal Women Who Have Been diagnosed with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. Sponsored by Pfizer, Inc. (Sub Contract: $5,100 per patient), (PI from 2002-2003).

2002Present A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Fixed Dose,Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Toleration of Oral Sildenafil Citrate Administered for 12 Weeks to Pre-Menopausal Women Who Have Been diagnosed with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. Sponsored by Pfizer, Inc. (Sub Contract: $5,100 per patient), (PI from 2002-2003).

2002-2003 The Effect of ETOH and Folate on Hormone Related Cancers (Principal Investigator), National Institutes of Health PA-01-021, (Total Budget $74,694).

20022007 Translating ATPIII Cholesterol Management Guidelines Into Primary Care Practice, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, (Total budget $2,628,655), (Co-Principal Investigator 2002 -2004).

20022005 A Randomized Study of the Effect of Exemestane (Aromasin ®) vs Placebo on Breast Density in Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk for Development of Breast Cancer. NCIC CTG MAP.2. Sponsored by Clinical Trials Group, National Cancer Institute of Canada and Funded by Pharmacia Corporation (Sub Contract: $4,000 per patient), (PR from 2002-2003).

2002-Present A Phase 1/2, Proof of Principle, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double Dummy Active-and Placebo Controlled, Parallel, Dose finding Study to Evaluate the Effects of SCH 483307 on Vasomotor Symptoms and Endometrial Protection in Postmenopausal Women. Funded by Schering-Plough Research Institute. (PI from 2002-2003).

2002-Present Vanguard Center for A Phase III Randomized Study of Exemestane Versus Exemestane Plus Celecoxib Versus Placebo in Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk of Developing Breast Cancer MAP3. Funded by Pharmacia and National Cancer Institute of Canada (PR from 2002-2003).

2001-2006 Benign Breast Disease Add-On Study to the Women's Health Initiative, (Sub Contract), National Institutes of Health Grant 2R01 CA 77290-03 (Total $24,000), (Principal Investigator).

2001 Participants' Experiences in Dietary Modification in the Women's Health Initiative (Sub Contract $500).

19962001 "WHIMS - Women's Health Initiative Memory Study", (Sub Contract)(Co-Investigator), Grant #GTS 6495, Wyeth Ayerst ($211,112), (Sally Shumaker, Ph.D., Principal Investigator).

19952005 "Women's Health Initiative", Satellite Center
(Principal Investigator), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ($2,832,337).

1993-2005 "Vanguard Clinical Centers for Clinical Trials and Observational Study of the Women's Health Initiative-East (1993-2005)" and Enhanced Recruitment (1995-2005), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Grant #N01-WH-3-2119 (Total $17,234,653), (Principal Investigator).

19921997 "Minimal Contact Education for Cholesterol Change," Funded by the National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Grant # HL47624 (Thomas M. Lasater, Ph.D., Principal Investigator), ($2,490,765), (Co-Investigator).

19921995 "Worksites, Occupational Nurses and Cholesterol Change", Funded by the National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Grant # HL48250, (Thomas M. Lasater, Ph.D., Principal Investigator) ($1,370,488), (Co-Investigator).

19921993 "Rhode Island Preventive Health Block Grant Accountability Project", Funded by the Public Health Foundation ($27,155), (Principal Investigator).

1991-1995 "Competitive Renewal of Pawtucket Heart Health Program", funded by NIH-NHLBI ($4,359,869), (Co-Principal Investigator).

19901993 "Project LEAN (Low Fat Eating For America Now) Nationwide Evaluation", Funded by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation ($250,000), (Principal Investigator).

19891990 "Cancer Prevention and Control Through Physician Offices", Funded by Biomedical Research Support Grant #2 S07 RR05862 - 07, ($7,000), (Principal Investigator).

1987-1988 "The Health Behavior Diary as a Method in Cancer Research", Funded by National Institutes of Health - National Cancer Institute, Grant #RO3 CA46577-01, (William Rakowski, Ph.D., Principal Investigator), ($28,740), (Co-Principal Investigator).

1986-1991 "Competitive Renewal of "Pawtucket Heart Health Program", Funded by National Institutes of Health - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Grant #RO1 HL23629, (Richard A. Carleton, M.D., Principal Investigator), ($10,199,906), (Co-Investigator).

1985-1986 "Supplement to the Pawtucket Heart Health Program", Funded by NIH-NHLBI, ($778,072), (Co-Investigator).

1985 "Smoking Prevention and Cessation in Hispanic (Puerto Rican) Youth", Funded by National Institutes of Health - National Cancer Institute, Grant #CA39304, ($1,881,860 for 7/1/1985 -6/30/1990; $344,949 for Year 01), (Principal Investigator).

1981-1983 "A Randomized Clinical Trial of Three Methods of Training Women How to Perform Breast Self Examination", Funded by New York State Department of Health, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY (Principal Investigator).

Scholarly Work

Assaf AR, Burleson LE, Manson, JE. Pharmacoepidemiology of Hormone Therapy: an Evolving Picture. In Pharmacovigilance, 2nd edition Mann and Andrews, editors, John Wiley and Sons. in press 2006.

Rebecca D. Jackson, M.D., Andrea Z. LaCroix, Ph.D., Margery Gass, M.D., Robert B. Wallace, M.D., John Robbins, M.D., Cora E. Lewis, M.D., Tamsen Bassford, M.D., Shirley A.A. Beresford, Ph.D., Henry R. Black, M.D., Patricia Blanchette, M.D., Denise E. Bonds, M.D., Robert L. Brunner, Ph.D., Robert G. Brzyski, M.D., Bette Caan, Dr.P.H., Jane A. Cauley, Dr.P.H., Rowan T. Chlebowski, M.D., Steven R. Cummings, M.D., Iris Granek, M.D., Jennifer Hays, Ph.D., Gerardo Heiss, M.D., Susan L. Hendrix, D.O., Barbara V. Howard, Ph.D., Judith Hsia, M.D., F. Allan Hubbell, M.D., Karen C. Johnson, M.D., Howard Judd, M.D., Jane Morley Kotchen, M.D., Lewis H. Kuller, M.D., Robert D. Langer, M.D., Norman L. Lasser, M.D., Marian C. Limacher, M.D., Shari Ludlam, M.P.H., JoAnn E. Manson, M.D., Karen L. Margolis, M.D., Joan McGowan, Ph.D., Judith K. Ockene, Ph.D., Mary Jo O'Sullivan, M.D., Lawrence Phillips, M.D., Ross L. Prentice, Ph.D., Gloria E. Sarto, M.D., Marcia L. Stefanick, Ph.D., Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D., Evelyn Whitlock, M.D., Garnet L. Anderson, Ph.D., Annlouise R. Assaf, Ph.D., David Barad, M.D., for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. Calcium plus Vitamin D Supplementation and the Risk of Fractures. NEJM. Vol. 354 (7):669-683. February 16, 2006. (Correction to Jackson et al., N Engl J Med 354 (7) 669-683 February 16, 2006.)

Barbara V. Howard; Linda Van Horn; Judith Hsia; JoAnn E. Manson; Marcia L. Stefanick; Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller; Lewis H. Kuller; Andrea Z. LaCroix; Robert D. Langer; Norman L. Lasser; Cora E. Lewis; Marian C. Limacher; Karen L. Margolis; W. Jerry Mysiw; Judith K. Ockene; Linda M. Parker; Michael G. Perri; Lawrence Phillips; Ross L. Prentice; John Robbins; Jacques E. Rossouw; Gloria E. Sarto; Irwin J. Schatz; Linda G. Snetselaar; Victor J. Stevens; Lesley F. Tinker; Maurizio Trevisan; Mara Z. Vitolins; Garnet L. Anderson; Annlouise R. Assaf; Tamsen Bassford; Shirley A. A. Beresford; Henry R. Black; Robert L. Brunner; Robert G. Brzyski; Bette Caan; Rowan T. Chlebowski; Margery Gass; Iris Granek; Philip Greenland; Jennifer Hays; David Heber; Gerardo Heiss; Susan L. Hendrix; F. Allan Hubbell; Karen C. Johnson; Jane Morley Kotchen. "Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." JAMA. 2006;295:655-666.

Ross L. Prentice; Bette Caan; Rowan T. Chlebowski; Ruth Patterson; Lewis H. Kuller; Judith K. Ockene; Karen L. Margolis; Marian C. Limacher; JoAnn E. Manson; Linda M. Parker; Electra Paskett; Lawrence Phillips; John Robbins; Jacques E. Rossouw; Gloria E. Sarto; James M. Shikany; Marcia L. Stefanick; Cynthia A. Thomson; Linda Van Horn; Mara Z. Vitolins; Jean Wactawski-Wende; Robert B. Wallace; Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller; Evelyn Whitlock; Katsuhiko Yano; Lucile Adams-Campbell; Garnet L. Anderson; Annlouise R. Assaf; Shirley A. A. Beresford; Henry R. Black; Robert L. Brunner; Robert G. Brzyski; Leslie Ford; Margery Gass; Jennifer Hays; David Heber; Gerardo Heiss; Susan L. Hendrix; Judith Hsia; F. Allan Hubbell; Rebecca D. Jackson; Karen C. Johnson; Jane Morley Kotchen; Andrea Z. LaCroix; Dorothy S. Lane; Robert D. Langer; Norman L. Lasser; Maureen M. Henderson. "Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Risk of Invasive Breast Cancer: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." JAMA. 2006;295:629-642.

Shirley A. Beresford; Karen C. Johnson; Cheryl Ritenbaugh; Norman L. Lasser; Linda G. Snetselaar; Henry R. Black; Garnet L. Anderson; Annlouise R. Assaf; Tamsen Bassford; Deborah Bowen; Robert L. Brunner; Robert G. Brzyski; Bette Caan; Rowan T. Chlebowski; Margery Gass; Rosanne C. Harrigan; Jennifer Hays; David Heber; Gerardo Heiss; Susan L. Hendrix; Barbara V. Howard; Judith Hsia; F. Allan Hubbell; Rebecca D. Jackson; Jane Morley Kotchen; Lewis H. Kuller; Andrea Z. LaCroix; Dorothy S. Lane; Robert D. Langer; Cora E. Lewis; JoAnn E. Manson; Karen L. Margolis; Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani; Judith K. Ockene; Linda M. Parker; Michael G. Perri; Lawrence Phillips; Ross L. Prentice; John Robbins; Jacques E. Rossouw; Gloria E. Sarto; Marcia L. Stefanick; Linda Van Horn; Mara Z. Vitolins; Jean Wactawski-Wende; Robert B. Wallace; Evelyn Whitlock. "Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." JAMA. 2006;295:643-654.

Wactawski-Wende J, Kotchen JM, Anderson, GL, Assaf AR, Brunner, RL, O'Sullivan MJ, Margolis KL, Ockene JK, Phillips L, Pottern L, Prentice RL, Robbins J, Rohan T, Sarto GE, Sharma S, Stefanick ML, Van Horn L, Wallace RB, Whitlock E, Bassford T, Beresford SA, Black HR, Bonds DE, Brzyski RG, Caan B, Chlebowski RT, Cochrane B, Garland C, Gass M, Hays J, Heiss G, Hendrix SL, Howard BV, Hsia J, Hubbell FA, Jackson RD, Johnson KC, Judd H, Kooperberg CL, Kuller LH, LaCroix AZ, Lane DS, Langer RD, Lasser NL, Lewis CE, Limacher MC, Manson JE. Calcium plus Vitamin D Supplementaion and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer. NEJM 2006;354:(7):684-696.

Stefanick ML, Anderson GL, Margolis KL, Hendrix SL, Rodabough RJ, Paskett ED, Lane DS, Hubbell FA, Assaf AR, Sarto GE, Schenken RS, Yasmeen S, Lessin L, Chelbowski RT for the WHI Investigators. Effects of Conjugated Equine Estrogens on Breast Cancer and Mammography Screening on Postmenopausal Women with Hysterectomy. JAMA, Vol. 295(14) 1647-1657 (April 12, 2006 in press).

Hsia J, Mo J, Burleson LE, Assaf AR. The Cardiovascular Spectrum of Adverse Drug Reactions. In Pharmacovigilance, 2nd edition Mann and Andrews, editors, John Wiley and Sons. in press 2006.

Vanessa M. Barnabei, MD, PhD, Barbara B. Cochrane, PhD, RN, Aaron K. Aragaki, MS, Ingrid Nygaard, MD, R. Stan Williams, MD, Peter G. McGovern, MD, Ronald L. Young, MD, Ellen C. Wells, MD, Mary Jo O'Sullivan, MD, Bertha Chen, MD, Robert Schenken, MD, Susan R. Johnson, MD, MS for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. "Menopausal Symptoms and Treatment-Related Effects of Estrogen and Progestin in the Women's Health Initiative." Obstetrics & Gynecology 2005;105:1063-1073.

Margolis K, Manson J, Greenland P, Rodabough R, Bray P, Safford M, Grimm R, Howard B, Assaf A, Prentice R. "Leukocyte Count as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Post-Menopausal Women." Archives of Internal Medicine, 2005 Mar 14;165(5):500-8.

Howard BC, Kuller L, Langer R. Manson JE, Allen C, Assaf A, Cochrane BB, Larson JC, Lasser N, Rainford M, Van Horn L, Stefanick ML, Trvisan M. "Hysterectomy With and Without Oophorectomy and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: The Women's Health Initiative." Circulation 2005 March 29;111:1462-1470.

Parker, DR and Assaf, AR. "Community interventions for cardiovascular disease." Primary Care. 2005 Dec. 32(4): 865-81.

The Writing Group for the WHI Investigators: "Dietary Adherence in the WHI Dietary Modification Trial". J AM Diet Assoc. 2004 Apr;104(4):654-658.

The Writing Group for the WHI Investigators: "Effects of Conjugated Equine Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women with Hysterectomy. The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial." JAMA 2004 Apr 14;291(14):1701-1712.

Shumaker S, Legault C, Thal L, Wallace R, Ockene J, Hendrix S, Jones III B, Assaf A, Jackson R, Kotchen JM, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Wactawski-Wende J. "Estrogen Plus Progestin and the Incidence of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Postmenopausal Women: The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial". JAMA. 2003;289:2651-2662.

Assaf AR, Parker D, Lapane KL, Coccio E, Carleton RA, and Evangelis, E. "Does the Y Chromosome Make a Difference?: Gender Differences in Attempts to Change Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors." Journal of Women's Health and Gender Based Medicine, May, 2003: 12(4).

Manson J, Hsia J, Johnson K, Rossouw J, Assaf A, Lasser N, Trevisan M, Black H, Heckbert S, Detrano R, Strickland O, Wong N, Crouse J, Stein E, Cushman M. "Estrogen Plus Progestin and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease". New England Journal of Medicine 2003; 349:523-34

WHI Steering Committee and Writing Group: "Reply to Letters to the Editor re: Risks of Postmenopausal Hormone Replacement." Journal of the American Medical Association, December 11, 2002: 288(22): 2823-2824.

Assaf AR, Lapane KL, Parker D, McKenney JL, Carleton RA. "Validation of Self-Reported Smoking Practices." Journal of Women's Health and Gender Based Medicine, December, 2002: 11(10): 899-906.

Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women. Principal Results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. July 17, 2002: 288(3): 321-333.

Assaf AR, Coccio E, Gans K, Lasater TM. "Community-Based Approaches with Implications for Hypertension Control in Blacks," Ethnicity and Disease, January, 2002: 12(supp1): S1-27–S1-33.

Assaf AR, Carleton RA, Coccio E, Miller ME. "Hemogram Reference Values for Post-Menopausal Women," Clinical Journal of Women's Health, 2000;1(1):23-28.

Assaf AR, McKenney JL, Lapane KL, McKinlay S, and Carleton RA. "Coronary Heart Disease Surveillance: Field Testing of an Epidemiologic Algorithm," Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 2000;53(4):419-426.

The Women's Health Initiative Study Group. Design of the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial and Observational Study. Controlled Clin Trials, 1998;19:61-109.

Eaton CB, Lapane KL, Garber CA, Assaf AR, Lasater TM, Carleton RA. "Sedentary Lifestyle and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1995;27(11):1535-1539.

Eaton CB, Lapane KL, Garber CE, Assaf AR, Lasater T, and Carleton R. "Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1995;27(3):340-346.

Eaton CB, McPhillips JB, Gans KM, Garber CE, Assaf AR, Lasater TM, and Carleton RA. "Cross-sectional Relationship of Diet and Physical Activity in Two Southeastern New England Communities." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1995;11(4):238-244.

Assaf AR, Helmert U, Greiser E, and Carleton RA. "Measuring Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Levels: International Comparisons between Bremen North/West (Germany) and Two Southeastern New England (USA) Cities." Social and Preventive Medicine, 1995;40:1-2.

Carleton RA, Lasater TM, Assaf AR, Feldman HA, McKinlay S, and the Pawtucket Heart Health Program Writing Group. The Pawtucket Heart Health Program: Community-wide education effects assessed by changes in cardiovascular risk factors and projected cardiovascular disease risk. Am Journal of Public Health, 1995;85(6):777-785.

McKenney JL, Lapane KL, Assaf AR, Carleton RA. The Association Between Perceived Risk and Actual Cardiovascular Disease. Epidemiology, 1995;6(6):612-616.

Carleton RA, Lasater TM, Assaf AR. The Pawtucket Heart Health Program: Progress in Promoting Health. Rhode Island Medicine, 1995;Mar 78(3):74-77.

Assaf AR, Carleton RA. "The Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial and Observational Study: History and Overview." Rhode Island Medicine, 1994 (Dec);77(12):424-427.

Crowley JP, Metzger J, Assaf AR, Carleton RC, Merrill E, and Valeri CR. "Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Whole Blood Viscosity." Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science, 1994;24(6):533-541.

Eaton CB, Feldman HA, Assaf AR, McPhillips JB, Hume AL, Lasater TM, Levinson PD, and Carleton RA. "Prevalence of Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Dyslipedemic Hypertension." Journal of Family Practice, 1994;38:17-23.

Pirie PL, Stone EJ, Assaf AR, Flora JA and Maschewsky-Schneider U. "Program Evaluation Strategies for Community-based Health promotion Programs: Perspective from the Cardiovascular Disease Community Research and Demonstration Studies." Health Education Research, Theory, and Practice, 1994;9(1):23-36.

McPhillips JB, Lasater TM, McKenney JL, Carleton RA, Lefebvre RC, McKinlay SM, Assaf AR, and Banspach SW. "Characteristics of Respondents to Telephone and Household Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Surveys." Health Education Research, Theory & Practice, 1994;9(4):535-543.

Reynes JF, Lasater TM, Feldman HA, Assaf AR, and Carleton RA. "Education and Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease from a Community in New England." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1993;9(6):365-371.

Eaton CB, Reynes J, Assaf AR, Feldman H, Lasater T, and Carleton RA. "Predicting Physical Activity Change in Men and Women in Two New England Communities." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1993;9(4):209-219.

Barbour MM, Hume AL, Assaf AR, and Carleton RA. "The Drug Database of the Pawtucket Heart Health Program: Development and Description." Pharmacotherapy, 1993 (May/June);13(3):239-243.

Hume AL, Barbour MM, Lapane KL, Assaf AR, and Carleton RA. "Prevalence and Descriptors of Aspirin Use as an Antiplatelet Agent in Two New England Communities." The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 1993 (April);27(4):442-444.

McKenney JL, Lapane K, Macedo JM, Assaf AR and Carleton RA. "Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Assessing the Relationship in the Field with the Step Test." Medicine, Exercise, Nutrition and Health, 1993 (Mar./Apr.);2(2):100-105

Flora JA, Lefebvre RC, Murray DM, Stone EJ, Assaf AR, Mittlemark M and Finnegan JR. "A Community Education Monitoring System: Methods from the Stanford Five-City Project, The Minnesota Heart Health Program, and The Pawtucket Heart Health Program." Health Education Research, 1993 (March);8(1):81-95.

Assaf AR, Lapane KL, McKenney JL, and Carleton RA.. "Possible Influence of the Prospective Payment System on the Assignment of Discharge Diagnoses for Coronary Heart Disease." New England Journal of Medicine, 1993;329(13):931-935.

Assaf AR, Banspach SW, Lasater TM, Ramsey J, Tidwell RJ and Carleton RA. "FPbase: A Microcomputer Database Software Package for Community Intervention Tracking." Public Health Reports, 1992 (Nov./Dec.); 107(6):695-700.

Millman RP, Levinson PD, Carlisle CC, Assaf AR, and Redline S. "Daytime Hypertension in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Prevalence and Contributing Risk Factors," CHEST, 1991 (April);99:861-866.

Rakowski W, Lefebvre RC, Assaf AR, Lasater TM, and Carleton RA. "Health Practice Correlates in Three Adult Age Groups: Results from Two Community Surveys," Public Health Reports, 1990;105(5):481-492.

Rakowski W, Assaf AR, Lefebvre RC, Lasater TM, Niknian M, and Carleton RA. "Information-seeking about Health in a Community Sample of Adults: Correlates and Associations with Other Health-Related Practices," Health Education Quarterly, 1990;17(4):379-393.

Bennett SE, Lawrence RS, Angiolillo DF, Bennett SD, Budman S, Schneider GM, Assaf AR, and Feldstein M. "Effectiveness of Methods Used to Teach Breast Self-Examination," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1990;6(4):208-217.

McKenney JL, Cook BC, Assaf AR, Macedo JM, and Carleton RA. "Training Protocol For Health Survey Fieldwork," Health Education, 1990 (July/Aug.);21(4):12-16.

Hunt MK, Lefebvre RC, Hixson ML, Banspach SW, Assaf AR and Carleton RA. "Pawtucket Heart Health Program Point of Purchase Nutrition Education in Supermarkets," American Journal of Public Health, 1990 (June);80(6):730-732.

McKinlay S, Carleton R, McKenney J and Assaf A. "A New Approach to Surveillance for Myocardial Infarction: Reproducibility and Cost Efficiency," International Journal of Epidemiology, 1989;18(1):67-75.

McGraw SA, McKinlay SM, McClements L, Lasater TM, Assaf AR, and Carleton RA. "Methods in Program Evaluation: The Process Evaluation System of the Pawtucket Heart Health Program," Evaluation Review, 1989;13(5):459-483.

Lefebvre RC, Lasater T, Assaf A, and Carleton R. "Pawtucket Heart Health Program: The Process of Stimulating Community Change," Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 1988;1:31-37.

McKinlay SM, McGraw SA, Kipp DM, Assaf AR, and Carleton RA. "An Innovative Approach to the Evaluation of Large Community Programs," in Perspectives on Behavioral Medicine, Vol. 3, eds. W. Gordon, J.A. Herd, and A. Baum, Academic Press, San Diego. 1988, 89-107.

Assaf AR, Banspach SW, Lasater TM, McKinlay M and Carleton RA. "The Pawtucket Heart Health Program: Evaluation Strategies." Rhode Island Medical Journal, 1987 (Dec.);70(12): 541-546.

Lasater TL, Lefebvre RC, Assaf AR, Saritelli AL and Carleton RA. "Rapid Measurement of Blood Cholesterol: Evaluation of a New Method," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1987;3:311-316.

Carleton RA, Lasater TM, Assaf AR, Lefebvre RC, McKinlay SM. "The Pawtucket Heart Health Program: An Experiment in Population-based Disease Prevention." Rhode Island Medical Journal, 1987 (Dec.);70(12):533-538.

Assaf AR, Cummings KM, Graham S, et al. "A Comparison of Three Methods of Teaching Women How to Perform Breast Self-Examination," Health Education Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Fall 1985), pp. 259-272.

Assaf AR, Cummings KM, Walsh D. "The Relationship Between Breast Self-Examination Frequency, Technique, and Breast Lump Detection," in Progress in Cancer Control IV: Research in the Cancer Research Center, eds. C Mettlin and GP Murphy, Alan R Liss, Inc. New York: 1983.

Assaf A, Cummings KM, Walsh D. The relationship between breast self-examination frequency, technique, and breast lump detection. Prog Clin Biol Res, 1983;130:323-329.

Hume AL, Barbour MM, Willey CJ, Assaf AR, Lapane K, and Carleton RA. "Changing Trends in Antihypertensive Therapy in Two New England Communities During the 1980s." Pharmacotherapy, 1993 (May/June);13(3):244-251.

Janik P, Assaf A, Bertram JS. "Inhibition of Growth of Primary and Metastatic Lewis Lung Carcinoma Cells by the Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor Isobutylmethylxanthine." Cancer Research, Vol. 40 (June 1980), pp. 1950-1954.

Brunner RL, Gass M, Aragaki A, Hays J, Granek I, Woods N, Mason E, Brzyski R, Ockene J, Assaf, A. LaCroix A, Matthews K , Wallace R, and for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. "Effects of Conjugated Equine Estrogen on Health-Related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women With Hysterectomy: Results From the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Clinical Trial." Archives of Internal Medicine, September 26, 2005; 165(17): 1976 - 1986.

Background

Education and Training

Year	Degree	Institution
1983	PhD	State University of New York at Buffalo
1979	MS	State University of New York at Buffalo

Honors and Awards

2015 -2018 Prizer -W.E. Upjohn Prizes Award

2012 Elected Fellow, International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology (FISPE)

2006 YWCA of Northern Rhode Island “Women of Achievement Award – Nightingale in Research”

2001 Elected Fellow, American Heart Association

2001-2002 Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM)

1998 Featured in Rhode Island Monthly, Special Tenth Anniversary Commemorative Issue, "What a Difference A Decade Makes"

1993 Recipient of the WLNE Freedom Torch Award

1993 Recipient of Special Recognition Award from the Rhode Island Medical Women's Association

1992 Recipient of American Cancer Society Life Saver Award

1989 United States' Representative, Third Advanced Ten-Day International Teaching Seminar on Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention, Belgium

Researchers@Brown