Faculty

Rebecca C Thurston, PhD

Pittsburgh Foundation Chair in Women's Health and Dementia and Professor of Psychiatry, Clinical and Translational Science, Epidemiology and Psychology

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Website
Assistant
Mollie Bandy

Education & Training

PhD
Clinical Health Psychology, Duke University
Clinical Health Psychology, University of Washington
Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar, Harvard University

Current Appointments

Director, Women's Biobehavioral Health Program
Training Director, Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Research Training Program

Professional Affiliations

Board of Trustees, North American Menopause Society
Immediate Past President, North American Menopause Society
Member, American Psychosomatic Society
Fellow, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research

Selected Honors & Awards

Henry Burger Award, International Menopause Society
Vasomotor Symptoms Research Award, North American Menopause Society

Research Interests

Menopause and cardiovascular disease; Menopause and neurocognitive health; Trauma and cardiovascular disease risk
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Thurston RC, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Everson-Rose SA, Hess R, Matthews KA. Hot flashes and subclinical cardiovascular disease: Findings from The Study of Womens Health Across the Nation Heart Study. Circulation. 2008 Sep; 118(12):1234-40. PMCID: PMC2728044
  2. Thurston RC, Aizenstein HJ, Derby CA, Sejdic E, Maki PM. Menopausal hot flashes and white matter hyperintensities. Menopause. 2016 Jan; 23(1):27-32. PMCID: PMC4673042
  3. Thurston RC, Chang Y, Barinas-Mitchell E, von Knel R, Jennings JR, Santoro N, Landsittel DP, Matthews KA. Child abuse and neglect and subclinical cardiovascular disease among midlife women. Psychosom Med. 2017 May; 79(4): 441-9. PMCID: PMC5477855
  4. Thurston RC, Chang Y, von Knel R, Barinas-Mitchell E, Jennings JR, Hall MH, Santoro N, Buysse DJ, Matthews KA. Sleep characteristics and carotid atherosclerosis among midlife women. Sleep. 2017 Feb; 40(2): zsw052. PMID: 28364498
  5. Thurston RC, Kubzansky LD, Kawachi I, Berkman LF. Is the association between socioeconomic position and coronary heart disease stronger among women than men? Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Jul; 162(2):57-65. PMID: 15961587

Clinical Interests

Menopause; Mood and anxiety disorders; Behavioral medicine
Selected Clinical Publications & Products
  1. Thurston RC. Vasomotor symptoms: Natural history, risk factors, and treatment options. UPMC Synergies. 2016; Fall:1-11.
  2. The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of the North American Menopause Society. 2017 Jul; 24(7): 728-53.

Education Interests

Research mentorship at all levels; Behavioral medicine research & practice; Interdisciplinary training