Jane A Cauley

Jane A Cauley is a Distinguished Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She has led landmark cohort studies including the 31-year Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) and Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS), and served as Co-PI for the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).

Her academic credentials include:

• BSN from Boston College (1975), Cum Laude
• MPH in Epidemiology and Public Health Nursing from University of Pittsburgh (1980)
• DrPH in Epidemiology from University of Pittsburgh (1983)

Dr. Cauley's research pioneers the epidemiology of bone aging, focusing on fracture mechanisms through investigations of sleep patterns, vitamin D metabolism, racial disparities, and muscle-bone crosstalk. Her work uniquely integrates women's health with gerontological outcomes, examining how hormonal changes and inflammation drive functional decline in aging populations. This has established foundational knowledge for osteoporosis prevention globally.

Her publication portfolio demonstrates consistent leadership in longitudinal aging research, with recent work emphasizing physical activity interventions and multi-ethnic risk factors. The articles reveal evolving focus from hormone therapy impacts (2003) to contemporary analyses of sleep-fracture relationships and racial disparities in bone health.

Major recognitions include:

• ASBMR Frederic C. Bartter Award (2011)
• European Calcified Tissue Society Golden Femur Award (2014)
• Reuters World's Most Influential Scientific Minds (2014-2016)
• ASBMR Presidency (2016-2019)
• University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award (2015)

Dr. Cauley maintains exceptional mentorship activity with 35 primary PhD/DrPH advisees and 15 master's students trained since 1989. She directs the NIA T32 Epidemiology of Aging Training Program and teaches the Advanced Epidemiology of Aging graduate course. Her grant leadership spans NIH-funded cohort studies exceeding $100M in collective funding, including continuous WHI involvement since 1991.

She leads the Epidemiology of Aging research team within Pitt Public Health, coordinating multi-institutional collaborations across SOF, MrOS, and WHI consortia to advance translational bone health research.