CHS Working Groups

updated 4/6/2026

One of the most important foci for CHS is to introduce new investigators to CHS resources and data, and to mentor those investigators as they develop their own research projects and manuscripts. Working Groups are based on identified research opportunities in CHS and on the general interests expressed by the scientific community. Working Groups are composed of new investigators to CHS, junior CHS investigators, senior CHS investigators and analysts.


Working Group Goals:

  • Actively involve New Investigators in CHS and help facilitate their work.
  • Promote multi-site collaboration.
  • Address important questions using CHS data and resources.
  • Enhance the quality and efficiency of research in CHS.
  • Help us think about the future of CHS in terms of potential studies, grant proposals and manuscripts.

 

List of CHS Working Groups:
 

  • Bone (Osteoporosis/Fractures) Working Group

    Co-Chairs: 
    John Robbins, MD, MPH
    University of California; Davis
    jarobbins@ucdavis.edu

    Howard Fink, MD, MPH
    University of Minnesota; Minneapolis VA Healthcare
    howard.fink@va.gov

    The Bone Working Group is made up of MDs and PhDs from various areas of specialization, endocrinology, rheumatology, geriatrics and general medicine with a shared interest in osteoporosis and bone disease. The members are currently working on papers relating to risk factors for fracture, and/or low Bone Mineral Density (BMD). It is anticipated that the group will put in an ancillary study to reanalyze existing data. CHS has extensive data related to fractures and BMD. The study of bone health and disease should add a new dimension to CHS.
     
  • Cardiovascular Working Group

    Co-Chairs:
    Christopher deFilippi, MD
    University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, MD
    cdefilippi@som.umaryland.edu

    Jorge R. Kizer, MD
    University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, CA
    jorge.kizer@ucsf.edu 
     

Chair:
Bruce Psaty, MD, PhD
University of Washington; Seattle, WA
psaty@uw.edu

The Genetics Working Group is a multi-site collaboration with representation from genetics, genomics, biostatistics, epidemiology, and medicine.  CHS has extensive genetics data, including genome array, rare variant array, whole-exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing.  This Working Group collaborates with other CHS Working Groups and other investigators with interest in a variety of phenotypes.  In general, CHS is too small to generate its own publications on genetic associations.  The Genetics Working Group links CHS and its investigators with a variety of large-scale genetic collaborations, including TOPMed, CHARGE, and international collaborations on lipids, diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

 

  • Geriatrics Working Group

    Co-Chairs:
    Michelle Odden, PhD
    Stanford University; Stanford, CA
    modden@stanford.edu

    Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH
    University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA
    newmana@edc.pitt.edu

    The Geriatrics Working Group includes the investigators involved in using CHS data to address a wide range of questions about the aging processes as well as predictors of outcomes such as physical decline, frailty and trajectories to successful aging. Some investigators have ancillary study funds to address such questions while others are pursuing analysis of CHS data for manuscripts. The primary focus of the working group conference calls is to share information about active projects so that synergy and productivity is enhanced overall.
     
  • Health Outcomes Working Group (Deactivated as of 4/26/18) 

    Co-Chairs:
    Asheley Skinner, PhD
    Duke University; Durham, NC
    asheley.skinner@duke.edu

    Annette Fitzpatrick, PhD
    University of Washington; Seattle, WA
    fitzpal@u.washington.edu
     
  • Lung (COPD) Working Group

    Chair:
    R. Graham Barr MD, DrPH
    Columbia University; New York, NY
    rgb9@columbia.edu

    The purpose of the Lung Working Group is to evaluate hypotheses relating to pulmonary function and associated measures collaboratively in this large elderly cohort.
    [Note: The CHS Lung Working Group has now merged with the MESA Lung Working Group.]
     
  • Neurology Working Group

    Co-Chairs:
    Will Longstreth, MD, MPH
    University of Washington; Seattle, WA
    wl@u.washington.edu

    Mitch Elkind, MD, MS, MPhil 
    Columbia University; New York, NY
    mse13@columbia.edu

    The topics and goals - using the rich resources of CHS to investigate brain problems in the elderly, both vascular disease and degeneration processes.
     
  • Renal Working Group (Deactivated as of 2/9/26) 

    Co-Chairs:
    Mike Shlipak, MD, MPH
    San Francisco VA Medical Center and UCLA; San Francisco, CA
    Michael.Shlipak@ucsf.edu

    Nisha Bansal, MD MAS
    University of Washington; Seattle, WA
    nbansal@uw.edu

    The Renal Working Group is a multi-site collaboration with representation from nephrology, general internal medicine, epidemiology, geriatrics, cardiology, and biostatistics. The primary goals have been to uncover and characterize the association of kidney dysfunction with risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart failure and death in the elderly. Additional investigations have been launched into the associations of longitudinal declines in kidney function with successful aging; and subclinical disease measures will be used to provide insights into the mechanisms for the morbidity of kidney dysfunction. Additional outcomes of interest to the Renal Working Group include acute renal failure, declining kidney function, fracture risk, and cerebrovascular disease.
     
  • Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) Working Group (Deactivated)

    Chair: 
    Nona Sotoodehnia, MD, MPH
    University of Washington; Seattle, WA
    nsotoo@u.washington.edu
 

Contact: For general queries about the CHS working groups, email the CHS Working Group Coordinator.

 

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