Jean Wactawski-Wende

Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, is the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions and a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. Her research focuses on women’s health, particularly biomarkers, cancer, hormone therapy, menopause, and the oral microbiome. As principal investigator of UB’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Center, she leads a multi-institutional study examining morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. She has held leadership roles in the WHI Steering Committee and has contributed to landmark studies on cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease. Wactawski-Wende earned her PhD in Epidemiology from the University at Buffalo (1989) and has served as Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives, overseeing interdisciplinary research collaborations and institutional priorities. Her work emphasizes prevention strategies and aging populations, with grants from NIH and federal agencies.

Her research integrates large-scale clinical trials and observational studies, including studies on the oral microbiome’s role in health outcomes. She has published extensively on topics like clonal hematopoiesis, proton pump inhibitor risks, and long-COVID impacts. Professional affiliations include the American College of Epidemiology and the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Beyond academia, she has led initiatives aligning with UB’s Top 25 Ambition, fostering collaborative research ecosystems.

Key research areas span chronic disease prevention, hormonal influences on health, and environmental factors. Her recent studies explore links between metabolic profiles, microbiome diversity, and obesity-related cancers. She also investigates postmenopausal cognitive decline and the impact of genetic markers like APOEε4 on health outcomes.