Faculty Profile

Over the past 25 years, I have carried out collaborative human population studies involving multiple cohorts. The emphasis of my research has been investigating the epidemiology and genomics of atherosclerosis, its risk factors including measures of blood pressure, obesity, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, and their complications in diverse populations. I am extensively involved in international collaborative investigations conducting whole genome sequencing, genome-wide association, and exome chip analyses of various risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including measures of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, inflammation, and diabetes, as well as target organ damage to the heart and liver.

• M.P.H., , University of Michigan, 1993

• D.D.S., , University of Michigan, 1976

• B.A., Mathematics, Wayne State University, 1972

• Epidemiology of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis; clinical epidemiology; validity studies; measurement and quality control issues. Dr. Bielak is involved in the following projects: Epidemiology of Coronary Artery Calcification Study; Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy; Joint Determinants of Bone Density and CVD Calcification. Genome-Wide Search for Cardiovascular Gene-Environment Interactions.

• Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Bielak LF, Levin AM, Sheedy PF II, Turner ST, Boerwinkle E, Lin X, Kardia SLR, Peyser PA. (March, 2013). A Matrix Gla Protein Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Increased Coronary Artery Calcification Progression. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 645-651.

• Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Bielak LF, Sheedy PF II, Turner ST, Chu JS, Peyser PA. (2011). Shared genetic architecture in the relationship between adult stature and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis 679-683.

• Bielak LF, Whaley DH, Sheedy PF II, Peyser PA (September, 2010). Breast Arterial Calcification is Associated with Reproductive Factors in Asymptomatic Post-Menopausal Women Journal of Women's Health 1721-6.

• Shen H, Bielak LF, Ferguson JF, Streeten EA, Yerges-Armstrong LM, Liu J, Post W, O'Connell JR, Hixson JE, Kardia SL, Sun YV, Jhun MA, Wang X, Mehta NN, Li M, Koller DL, Hakonarson H, Keating BJ, Rader DJ, Shuldiner AR, Peyser PA, Reilly MP, Mitchell BD (2010). Association of the vitamin D metabolism gene CYP24A1 with coronary artery calcification Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2648-54.

• Rampersaud, E., Bielak, L.F., Parsa, A., Shen, H., Post, W., Ryan, K.A., Donnelly, P., Rumberger, J.A., Sheedy, P.F. II, Peyser, P.A., Shuldiner, A.R., Mitchell, B.D. (November, 2008). Coronary Artery Calcification and Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness are Associated with Distinct Traditional Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors in Asymptomatic Adults American Journal of Epidemiology 1016-23. Oxford Journals

• Sun, Y.V., Bielak, L.F., Peyser, P.A., Turner, S.T., Sheedy, P.F. II, Boerwinkle, E., Kardia, S.L.R. (May 2008). Application of machine learning algorithms to predict coronary artery calcification with a sibship based design. Genetic Epidemiology 350-360.

• Bielak, L.F., Yu, P.F., Ryan, K.A., Rumberger, J.A., Sheedy, P.F. II, Turner, S.T., Post, W., Shuldiner, A.R., Mitchell, B.D., Peyser, P.A. (February 2008). Differences in prevalence and severity of coronary artery calcification between two non-Hispanic white populations with diverse lifestyles. Atherosclerosis 888-895.

• Cassidy-Bushrow, A.E., Bielak, L.F., Sheedy, P.F. II, Turner, S.T., Kullo, I.J., Lin, X., Peyser, P.A. (2007). Coronary artery calcification progression is heritable. Circulation 25-31.

• Shen, H., Bielak, L.F., Streeten, E.A., Ryan, K.A., Rumberger, J.A., Sheedy, P.F. II, Shuldiner, A.R., Peyser, P.A., Mitchell, B.D. (April, 2007). Relationship between Vascular Calcification and Bone Mineral Density in the Old-Order Amish. Calcified Tissue International 244-250.

• Post, W., Bielak, L.F., Ryan, K.A., Cheng, Y.C., Shen, H., Rumberger, J.A., Sheedy, P.F. II, Shuldiner, A.R., Peyser, P.A., Mitchell, B.D. (February, 2007). Determinants of coronary artery and aortic calcification in the Old Order Amish. Circulation 717-724.

• American Heart Association