Elizabeth J. Samelson, Ph.D.

Associate Scientist, Institute for Aging Research
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School  

Contact Information 

Institute for Aging Research
1200 Centre Street
Boston, MA 02131

Phone: 617-971-5383
Fax: 617-971-5339
email: samelson@hsl.harvard.edu 

Education 

Elizabeth (Lisa) Samelson is an Associate Scientist at the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.  Her major areas of research include excessive curvature of the thoracic spine (hyperkyphosis), osteoporosis and related fractures, and the links between bone and vascular calcification.  Dr. Samelson co-directs the Advanced Research Training Seminar in the HSL - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program.  Dr. Samelson received a PhD in Epidemiology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in musculoskeletal epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine.

Links
Samelson (Lisa) EJ on PubMed

Research Interests and Teaching Activities

1)  the association between osteoporosis and atherosclerosis and the potential pathophysiologic links between bone mineralization and vascular calcification;

 2) of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) to measure volumetric bone density;

3) natural history of kyphosis; and

4) short- versus long-term risk factors for hip and vertebral fracture. 

Teaching activities include instructing first-year students in clinical epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and mentoring geriatric fellows in epidemiologic research.

Keywords

Osteoporosis, hip fracture, vertebral fracture, epidemiology, risk factors, bone and vascular calcification

Selected Publications

1. Berry SD, Kiel DP, Donaldson MG, Cummings SR, Kanis JA, Johansson H, Samelson EJ.  Application of the National Osteoporosis Foundation Guidelines to postmenopausal women and men: the Framingham Osteoporosis Study.  Osteoporos Int 2009; 21: 53-60. 
2. Samelson, EJ: Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis (Section Editor). Curr Osteoporos Rep 2009; 7 (4). 
3. Kelsey JL, Samelson, EJ: Variation in risk factors for fractures at different sites. Curr Osteoporos Rep 2009; 7:127-133.
4. Berry SD, Samelson EJ, Bordes M, Broe K, Kiel DP. Survival of Aged Nursing Home Residents With Hip Fracture J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2009; 64:771-777.
5. Szulc P, Samelson EJ, Kiel DP, Delmas PD.  Increased bone resorption is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events in men - the MINOS study.  J Bone Miner Res 2009; 24:2023-2031.
6. Berry SD, Samelson EJ, Ngo L, Bordes M, Broe KE, Kiel DP. Subsequent fracture in nursing home residents with hip fracture: a competing risks approach. J Amer Ger Soc. 2008; 56:1887-1892.
7. Samelson EJ, Kelsey JL, Kiel DP, Roman AM, Cupples LA, Freeman MB, Jones RN, Hannan MT, Leveille SG, Gagnon MM, Lipsitz LA. Issues in Conducting Epidemiologic Research in Elders:  Lessons from the MOBILIZE Boston Study, Am J Epidemiol 2008; 168:1444-1451.
8. Leveille SG, Kiel DP, Jones RN, Roman A, Hannan MT, Sorond FA, Kang HG, Samelson EJ, Gagnon M, Freeman M, Lipsitz LA.  The MOBILIZE Boston Study: Design and methods of a prospective cohort study of novel risk factors for falls in an older population. BMC Geriatrics 2008; Jul 18;16.
9. Samelson EJ, Kiel DP. Prevalent vertebral fracture and the risk of incident vertebral fracture. JAMA 2008; 299(14):1666.
10. McLean RR, Jacques PF, Selhub J, Fredman L, Tucker KL, Samelson EJ, Kiel DP, Cupples LA, Hannan MT. Plasma B vitamins, homocysteine, and their relation with bone loss and hip fracture in elderly men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008; 93(6):2206-12.
11. Samelson EJ, Broe KE, Demissie S, Beck TJ, Karasik D, Kathiresan S, Kiel DP. Increased plasma osteoprotegerin concentrations are associated with indices of bone strength of the hip. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; 93(5):1789-95. 
12. Berry SD, Samelson EJ, Hannan MT, McLean RR, Lu M, Cupples LA, Shaffer ML, Beiser AL, Kelly-Hayes M, Kiel DP. Second hip fracture in older men and women: the Framingham Study. Arch Intern Med 2007; 167(18):1971-6.
13. Samelson EJ, Cupples LA, Broe KE, Hannan MT, O'Donnell CJ, Kiel DP. Vascular calcification in middle age and long-term risk of hip fracture: the Framingham Study. J Bone Miner Res 2007; 22(9):1449-54.
14. Samelson EJ, Hannan MT, Zhang Y, Genant HK, Felson DT, Kiel DP. Incidence and risk factors for vertebral fracture in women and men: 25-year follow-up results from the population-based Framingham Study. J Bone Miner Res 2006; 21(8):1207-14.
15. Samelson EJ, Hannan MT. Epidemiology of osteoporosis. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2006; 8(1):76-83. 
16. Edmond SL, Kiel DP, Samelson EJ, Kelly-Hayes M, Felson, DT. Vertebral deformity, back symptoms, and functional limitations among older women: The Framingham Study. Osteopor Int 2005; 16:1086-95.  
17. McLean RR, Jacques PF, Selhub J, Samelson EJ, Broe KE, Hannan MT, Cupples LA, Kiel DP. Increased plasma homocysteine concentrations are strongly associated with increased risk of hip fracture in elderly men and women: The Framingham Study. N Eng J Med 2004; 350:2042-2049.
18. Samelson EJ, Cupples LA, Hannan MT, Wilson PFW, Williams SA, Vaccarino V, Zhang Y, Kiel DP. Long-term effects of serum cholesterol on bone mineral density in women and men: The Framingham Study. Bone 2004; 34:557-561.
19. Samelson EJ, Kiel DP, Broe KE, Zhang YQ, Cupples LA, Hannan MT, Wilson PWF, Levy D, Williams SA, Vaccarino V. Metacarpal cortical area and risk of coronary heart disease: The Framingham Study. Am J Epidemiol 2004; 159:589-595.  
20. Samelson EJ, Hannan MT, Zhang Y, Genant HK, Felson DT, Kiel DP. Incidence and risk factors for vertebral fracture in women and men: 25-year follow-up results from the population-based Framingham study. J Bone Miner Res. 2006; 21(8):1207-14.
21. Samelson EJ, Zhang Y, Kiel DP, Hannan MT, Felson DT. Effect of birth cohort on risk of hip fracture: Age-specific incidence rates in the Framingham Study. Am J Public Health 2002; 92:858-62.