Faculty Profile
Carrie A Karvonen-Gutierrez, PhD, MPH
- Associate Professor, Epidemiology
- Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs, Epidemiology
Dr. Karvonen-Gutierrez is an epidemiologist with a scholarly niche focused on the
impact of reproductive aging, chronological aging and obesity on age-related health
outcomes including physical functioning, frailty, osteoarthritis, disability and cardiometabolic
dysfunction. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Director
of the Center for Midlife Science, she provides leadership as Principal Investigator
for a rich research portfolio including the NIH U-19 funded Michigan site of the Study
of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN)-Aging and the Michigan Bone Health and
Metabolism Study (MBHMS), both of which include 25+ years of health, symptom, demographic,
and functioning data on women, followed from midlife through early old age. Dr. Karvonen-Gutierrez
has expertise in the biology and pathophysiology of common etiologic factors that
underlie many chronic diseases including inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. She
holds a wealth of experience in the analysis and interpretation of longitudinal data
with a focus on the role of aging and inflammation as metabolic risk factors. In addition
to SWAN and MBHMS, she is MPI of the R01-funded PROTECT-Moms cohort, a study evaluating
the impact of environmental toxicants the endocrinologic and metabolic health of women
post-partum and MPI of an R21 examining retinal imaging-based factors and their association
with cognitive function.
Beyond her rich research portfolio, Dr. Karvonen-Gutierrez is the Director of the
Center for Midlife Science at the University of Michigan, which includes faculty,
staff and students with expertise in data collection, data management, data analysis,
and research dissemination in the conduct of longitudinal cohort studies. The Center
works to build and maintain our longitudinal cohorts over the past 25 years and is
a true partnership between investigators, staff, and participants.
- PhD, Epidemiologic Science, University of Michigan, 2012
- MPH, Epidemiology, University of Michigan, 2005
- BA , Biology, University of Northern Iowa, 2002
Dr. Karvonen-Gutierrez is the Director of the Center for Midlife Science where she and her team seeks to understand the impact of critical life stages and transitions on metabolic and musculoskeletal health outcomes. Her research program includes four aims: 1) identifying inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers related to osteoarthritis incidence, progression and severity; 2) describing the epidemiology of and risk factors for physical function limitations, disability and falls during midlife and into late adulthood; 3) characterizing changes in bone health and skeletal fragility across the menopausal transition and into late adulthood; and 4) identifying environmental exposures associated with metabolic dysfunction in women during critical risk periods. She is Principal Investigator of multiple NIH-funded studies of women including the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation-Michigan site, the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study and the PROTECT-Moms study.
Ylitalo KR, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Sternfeld B, Pettee Gabriel K. Association of physical activity and physical functioning phenotypes with fall risk
among women. J Aging Health 2021;[Epub ahead of print]: doi: 10.1177/0898264320988405. PMID:
33517822.
Wang X, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Mukherjee B, Herman WH, Park SK. Urinary metals and adipokines in midlife women: The Study of Women's Health Across
the nation (SWAN). Environ Res. 2020;[Epub ahead of print]: doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110426. PMID:
33157106.
Carson TL, Tournat T, Sonneville K, Zernicke RF, Karvonen-Gutierrez C. Cultural and environmental associations with body image, diet and well-being in NCAA
DI female distance runners: a qualitative analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2020;[Epub ahead of print]: doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102559.
PMID: 33139255.
Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Strotmeyer ES. The urgent need for disability studies among midlife adults. Womens Midlife Health. 2020 Aug 28;6:8. PMCID: PMC7453534
Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Ylitalo KR, Peng MQ. Midlife falls are associated with increased risk of mortality in women: Findings from
the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020;Jul 25;91:104206. PMCID: PMC7854835.
Ylitalo KR, Strotmeyer ES, Pettee Gabriel K, Lange-Maia BS, Avis NE, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA. Peripheral nerve impairment and recurrent falls among women: results from the Study
of Women's Health Across the Nation. J Gerontol Med Sci. 2020; 75(10):2020-2027. PMCID: PMC7518556.
Sternfeld B, Colvin A, Stewart A, Appelhans BM, Cauley JA, Dugan SA, El Khoudary SR,
Greendale GA, Strotmeyer E, Karvonen-Gutierrez C. Understanding racial/ethnic disparities in physical performance in midlife women:
Findings from SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation). J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020;75(9):1961-1971. PMCID: PMC7566973
Thurston RC, Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Derby CA, El Khoudary SR, Kravitz HM, Manson JE. Menopause versus chronologic aging: their roles in women's health. Menopause 2018;25(8):849-854. PMID: 30045364
Karvonen-Gutierrez CA, Peng Q, Peterson M, Duchowny K, Nan B, Harlow S. Low grip strength predicts incident diabetes among mid-life women: the Michigan Study
of Women's Health Across the Nation. Age Ageing 2018;47:685-691. PMCID: PMC6108393.
For a full list of publications visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/carrie.karvonen-gutierrez.1/bibliography/public/
Email: [email protected]
Office: 734-763-0571
Fax: 734-764-6250
Address: 6618 SPH I
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
For media inquiries: [email protected]