Katherine T. Mills

Katherine T. Mills is an Associate Professor in the Epidemiology Department at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Her research focuses on cardiovascular and renal disease epidemiology, implementation science, and health disparities, with particular emphasis on blood pressure control interventions and chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Mills received her PhD in Epidemiology from Tulane University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular disease epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, earned an MSPH in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Colorado College.

Her research program spans multiple domains of public health and clinical epidemiology. Dr. Mills has established herself as a leader in studies examining the relationship between cardiovascular disease, kidney function, and health disparities. She has conducted extensive research on implementation science approaches to improve blood pressure control, particularly in underserved populations. Her work also investigates health outcomes in chronic kidney disease patients, including progression to end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular events, and mortality. Through her research, Dr. Mills has contributed significantly to understanding how social determinants of health impact cardiovascular outcomes and how community-based interventions can reduce health disparities. She has been particularly active in engaging Black churches as venues for cardiovascular health interventions.

Analysis of Dr. Mills' recent publications reveals a strong focus on cardiovascular epidemiology, kidney disease outcomes, and implementation science for hypertension control. Her work frequently employs advanced statistical methods and large cohort studies, particularly the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study. She has published extensively on topics including blood pressure management, kidney disease progression, cardiovascular risk factors, and health disparities in minority populations. Her research often examines the intersection of social determinants of health with clinical outcomes.

Dr. Mills has received numerous scientific awards including:

• 2020: Outstanding Achievement in Receiving Your First R01 Award
• 2018: Young Investigator Travel Award, NIH, NIGMS Seventh Biennial National IdeA Symposium of Biomedical Research Excellence (NISBRE)
• 2017: Sandra A. Daugherty Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Disease for Hypertension Epidemiology, American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention
• 2016: Award for Excellence in Research and Presentation by a Postdoctoral Fellow, Health Sciences Research Days, Tulane University
• 2015-2016: NIH/NHLBI T32 Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology Training Program, Johns Hopkins University
• 2014: Dorothy R. LeBlanc Memorial Scholarship Award, Tulane University
• 2010-2012: Dean's Research Council Scholarship, Tulane University

Dr. Mills has secured significant NIH funding for her research on blood pressure control interventions and health disparities. She has mentored numerous students and collaborated extensively with interdisciplinary teams across Tulane and other institutions. Her work on church-based interventions for cardiovascular health has been particularly influential in addressing racial health disparities. She has developed and tested multicomponent implementation strategies that engage community health workers and faith-based organizations to improve blood pressure control in low-income communities.

Dr. Mills is actively engaged with the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) study and has led multiple analyses examining cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams including nephrologists, cardiologists, biostatisticians, and community health workers to address complex questions in cardiovascular and kidney disease epidemiology. Her current research focuses on identifying which populations benefit most from intensive blood pressure interventions and how social determinants of health influence treatment effectiveness.