Samar R El Khoudary

Samar R El Khoudary serves as Professor and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, with additional affiliation at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. An established cardiovascular and women's health epidemiologist, she leads research establishing the menopause transition as a critical period for cardiovascular disease risk acceleration through hormonal and physiological changes.

Her educational background includes:

• 1998: BPharm in Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University (Gaza, Palestine)
• 2002: MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Al-Quds University (Gaza, Palestine)
• 2008: PhD in Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh

Dr. El Khoudary's research centers on disentangling chronological aging from ovarian aging effects using the SWAN cohort, with expertise in complex statistical methodologies for longitudinal data. Her work demonstrates how menopause-related changes in sex hormones, lipids, visceral fat, and vascular properties collectively increase cardiovascular risk. She has developed innovative analytical approaches to isolate menopause-specific effects from aging processes.

Her recent publications (2019-2023) reveal consistent patterns linking menopause transition timing to accelerated cardiovascular changes, particularly in blood pressure trajectories, arterial stiffness, and lipid profiles. These studies consistently identify the perimenopausal period as a critical window for cardiovascular risk assessment, with implications for early prevention strategies emphasized in her American Heart Association scientific statement.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Fulbright PhD Scholarship (2004-2007)
• AHA Fellow (FAHA, 2015)
• Pitt Public Health Alumni Research Award (2023)
• NAMS New Investigator Award (2012)
• Multiple Trudy Bush Fellowships and poster prizes

She mentors students and junior faculty while leading departmental curriculum improvements, having directed Epidemiological Methods courses since 2014. Her service includes editorial roles for Menopause and JAHA, scientific program committees for AHA and NAMS, and contributions to the 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement. As SWAN study lead for cardiovascular analyses, she coordinates this critical multi-center cohort investigating midlife women's health trajectories.