Judith Lichtman, PhD, MPH

Dr. Lichtman’s primary research interests are the epidemiology of heart disease and stroke. As part of an initiative to achieve the disease objectives listed in the Healthy People 2010, the National Conference on CVD Prevention identified the need for better data to look at national trends across the population, and in subgroups defined by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. Despite this initiative, the United States lacks a cohesive, informative surveillance system that provides insights into national patterns of vascular care, revealing national trends over time, and tracking long-term patient outcomes. To help address this gap, Dr. Lichtman has created a national, longitudinal, 14-year database from Medicare data to examine disease trends, patterns of care, and outcomes among elderly patients with heart disease and stroke. She is also Principal Investigator for several studies examining heart disease in young women. Despite perceptions that young women are protected from heart disease, it is one of the leading causes of death for this group. Her research examines biological, social, and environmental factors that influence the presentation and outcomes of young women with heart disease.

Dr. Lichtman has served on several national committees related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders including the AHA Patient Education System Task Force, the AHA Peer Review Evaluation Design Task Force, the AHA Stroke and Epidemiology Councils, and the AHA Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Expert Panel. She has been a member of the Program Committee for the American Heart Association Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, and currently serves as the co-chair for a National American Heart Association Writing Committee and a recently appointed member of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee.

• Prospective Registry for the Predisposing Factors, Care, and Outcomes of Myocardial Infarction in Young Women
• Determinants of Disparities in the Care and Outcomes for Young Women with Acute Myocardial Infarction
• Cardiovascular Disease Trends in the Elderly
• Care and Outcomes for Elderly ACS/PCI Medicare Beneficiaries
• Stroke Hospitalization in the Elderly with Medicare FFS
• Impact of Aging on Stroke Care: A National Perspective
• Process-Outcome Links in the National Stroke Project.