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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Sepsis Treatment is the Focus of New Study by Fohner and Colleagues

CSDE Affiliate Dr. Alison Fohner (Epidemiology) and co-authors recently published their research in Critical Care Explorations, titled “Pharmacologic and Genetic Downregulation of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 and Survival From Sepsis“. Circulating lipid and protein assemblies—lipoproteins play critical roles in clearing pathogens from the bloodstream. Authors investigated whether early inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) may accelerate bloodstream clearance of immunogenic bacterial lipids and improve sepsis outcomes.

Their research design included genetic and clinical epidemiology, and experimental models. Nine human cohorts with sepsis (total n = 12,514) were assessed for an association between sepsis mortality and PCSK9 loss-of-function (LOF) variants. Across human cohort studies, the effect estimate for 28-day mortality after sepsis diagnosis associated with genetic PCSK9 LOF was odds ratio = 0.86 (95% CI, 0.67–1.10; p = 0.24). A significant association was present in antibiotic-treated patients. Sepsis therapies are urgently needed and further investigation into the role of PCSK9 in sepsis is needed.

Postdoctoral fellowship opportunity

The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS) is currently accepting applications for the next cohort of the David E. Bell Postdoctoral Fellowship. The deadline to apply is Thursday, November 30, 2023 at noon EST (U.S.).

The two-year Bell Fellowship is an interdisciplinary, postdoctoral training program designed for researchers and practitioners in the fields of population sciences and/or population health. Through self-directed research, selected candidates examine a broad range of critical issues, mostly from within the HCPDS’s focal areas: 1) aging societies; 2) youth, families, and social mobility; 3) work, policy, & well-being; and 4) population dynamics of climate change. In addition to research and writing, fellows participate in weekly seminars, professional development and other skill building activities, plus communications & media skills training.

Fluoride-related Beliefs and Refusal Behaviors of Child Caregivers are Studied by Hill and Chi

CSDE Trainee Courtney Hill (Epidemiology), CSDE Affiliate Dr. Donald Chi (Health Systems and Population Health, Oral Health Sciences), and co-authors published their research in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, titled “A Mixed-Methods Study on Topical Fluoride Beliefs and Refusal Behaviors for Caregivers of Children with Special Health Care Needs”, where they aimed to understand topical fluoride-related beliefs and refusal behaviors for caregivers of children with special health care needs (CSHCN). They used an explanatory sequential mixed methods study, including a survey and interviews with children’s caregivers. While caregivers of CSHCN were not more likely to refuse topical fluoride than caregivers of healthy children, there may be important differences in the underlying reasons for refusing topical fluoride.

CSDE Seminar: The Geography of Family Caregiving in an Aging Society

CSDE is excited to welcome CSDE Affiliate Dr. Stipica Mudrazija with co-sponsor The Population Health Initiative. Dr. Mudrazija’s presentation will take place in 360 PAR and on Zoom from 12:30-1:30PM on Dec 1st. Stipica Mudrazija is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC. He studies issues related to population aging, intergenerational support, and health and wellbeing of older adults in the United States and internationally, and is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.

His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, as well as major foundations and philanthropic organizations. It has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes and featured in media outlets including CNBC, Daily Mail, The Economist, Forbes, Reuters, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. Prior to joining the University of Washington, Dr. Mudrazija was a Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Previously, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the University of Southern California. Dr. Mudrazija holds a doctorate in public policy from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a graduate research trainee in the Population Research Center, a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Zagreb.