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
Email
Website
Thurston Lab
Assistant
Mollie Bandy
bandymb@upmc.edu

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

Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Reproductive Hormones in Relation to White Matter Hyperintensity Volumes Among Midlife Women

Silhouette of Woman

Although reproductive hormones are implicated in cerebral small vessel disease in women, few studies consider measured hormones in relation to white matter hyperintensity volume, a key indicator of cerebral small vessel disease linked to future risk for stroke, dementia, and mortality. Studies of hormones and the brain in women typically focus on estradiol, the main ovarian estrogen. However, hallmark changes of...

Circulation: Trajectories of Sleep Over Midlife and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation

Glowing Heart

Cardiovascular disease and poor sleep are both major health issues for women, with cardiovascular disease representing the leading cause of death in women. Poor sleep quality, elevated insomnia symptoms, and extreme sleep duration (short or long) are all associated with elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Midlife (here defined as 40-65 years old) is often a time of accelerated vascular risk, as well as a time...

Associations Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular and Brain Health in Women; Sex-Dependent Alterations in the Memory Network 

Drs. Rebecca Thurston and Minjie Wu

Recent studies led by Pitt Psychiatry investigators examine the associations between post-traumatic stress disorder and cardiovascular and brain health in women ( JAMA Network Open), and sex-dependent alterations in the memory network ( Alzheimer’s & Dementia). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Cardiovascular and Brain Health in Women Most women in the United States will experience at least one major...

Microglial and Astrocyte Reactivity Are Key to Determining Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

Dr. Tharick Pascoal

Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry) is an internationally recognized expert on the imaging and fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. He recently published two papers examining the multifaceted but interactive nature of Alzheimer’s disease pathology. “Microglia and astrocytes are glial cells that act together and play a major role in the immune response in the human...

Carotid Intima Media Thickness and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume among Midlife Women

Dr. Rebecca Thurston

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and cardiovascular disease are major women's health issues, and among the leading causes of death in women. Midlife—here defined as the ages of 40 up to 65 years old—is of particular importance for women's brain and cardiovascular health. The neuropathological hallmarks of dementia due to ADRD, including amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated tau, begin to accumulate...