
Research Professor, Family Medicine
Research Professor, Epidemiology
Research Professor, Global Health
Senior Faculty Investigator, Collaborative Health Studies Coordinating Center (CHSCC), Department of Biostatistics
Core Faculty, Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT)Program, Department of Epidemiology
Education
PhD Epidemiology, University of Washington, 1999MA Zoology, Southern Illinois University, 1981
BS Biology, Loyola University (Chicago), 1975
Contact Info
Research Section, Department of Family Medicine
4225 Roosevelt Way NW, Suite 308
Seattle, WA 98105
Tel: 206-616-6409
fitzpal@uw.edu
Office F-358A, Health Sciences Building
University of Washington
Box: 354696
Seattle, WA 98195
Tel: 206-616-9394
fitzpal@uw.edu
Projects
Integrating Mobile e-Health into Hypertension and Diabetes Self-Management in Cambodia, funded by the NIH Fogarty International Center, is testing an eHealth communication system designed to provide interactive voice messages tailored to patients based on recent medical history and treatment adherence for improved self-management. Role: PI
Air pollution, the Social Environment, and Alzheimer's Disease: Risk and Resilience in the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study, funded by the National Institute on Aging,
is investigating the impact of air pollutant exposures and the neighborhood social environment on (1) incident AD and cognitive decline, (2) the progression to AD and cognitive trajectories in participants with mild cognitive impairment at study entry, and (3) amyloid-β deposition in older adults. Role: Co-PI
The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is a prospective cohort study initiated in 1989 investigating risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke in the elderly (ages 65-84). Role: Co-Investigator
The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is a study of the characteristics of subclinical cardiovascular disease and the risk factors that predict progression to clinically overt cardiovascular disease. A total of 6,814 adults of white, African-American, Hispanic and Chinese ethnicity have been recruited into MESA. Role: Co-Investigator
Research Interests
Studies of aging and chronic diseases; cardiovascular disease and its risk factors; physical and cognitive functioning in the elderly; dementia including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia; chronic disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Publications
In The News
Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis investigates causes of dementia
The Daily, 11/03/2015
Washington Study Finds Links between Race/Ethnicity, Cultural Factors, and Cognition
ASPPH Friday Letter, 10/08/2015
Study Finds Links Between Race/Ethnicity, Cultural Factors and Cognition
SPH News, 10/06/2015