Meeting 2: Dr. Emelia Benjamin (Boston University Professor)
Area of Expertise: (Atrial Fibrillation/Heart Failure) + Framingham Heart Study Dataset (Conducted Research since 1988)
Dr. Emelia J. Benjamin is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Boston University and a clinical cardiologist at Boston Medical Center. She has authored 650+ peer-reviewed publications that focus on genetics, epidemiology, and prognosis of a variety of cardiovascular conditions and markers.
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Her Info: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/profile/emelia-benjamin/
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Recorded Meeting Link: https://youtu.be/9VY0MVqqVF0
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Transcript Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HEyFEZ2ez7TYBYVaX6pbFfVMWVHmAGX_ZqzEp_BokE4/edit?usp=sharing
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Main Points Made:
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Limitations:
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The Framingham study does not reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of our country today. (Other cohorts have recruited racial and ethnically diverse individuals, however)
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The participants have the possibility of being related, meaning body habits, weights, and heights may not be truly random observations
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Extreme observations are truncated so that the person is not identifiable. With the FHS, it’s very important to protect participant confidentiality.
Positives:
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The data is collected in a very rigorous standardized fashion. It offers an advantage over a study conducted in a hospital with patients with pre-existing conditions.
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The term “risk factor” was coined by Framingham investigators. Many cardiovascular conditions are predictable and preventable, which has been one of Framingham’s major contributions
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