Merrill F. Elias

Research Professor of Epidemiology in Mathematics

and Statistics and Adjusnt Research Professor of

Medicine and Public Health

Phone   (617) 353-8092

Fax       (617) 353-4767

E-mail   mfelias@aol.com

Mailing Address

Statistics and Consulting Unit

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

111 Cummington Street

Boston, MA 02215

Degrees:      B.A. Psychology, Allegheny College (1960);
                    M.S. (1961) and Ph.D. (1963) in Experimental Psychology, Purdue University;
                    M.P.H., Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health (1996);
                    NICHD Fellow, Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development (1969-1971).


Research Interests:

•           Relations between biological and psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease
            and cognitive functioning.
•           Cognitive precursors of Alzheimer Disease.
•           Cardiovascular disease and longitudinal change in cognitive function.

Professional Activities:

•           Member, Academy of Behavior Medicine Research, Councils on Epidemiology
            and Prevention, High Blood Pressure Research, Nutrition, Physical Ativity and
            Metabolism of the American Heart Associaiton, Society for Psychosomatic Research.
•           Fellow American Psychological Association, Divisions of Health Psychology and Aging.
•           Editor Emeritus, Experimental Aging Research and Gerodontology. Associate Editor,
            Growth and Human Development Formerly, Consulting Editor,
            Health Psychology and Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
•           Member of the Aging and Human Development Study Section (HUD II), Division of
            Research Grants, NIH and the Aging Review Committee National Institute on Aging
            and consultant to National Institute on Aging, Gerontology Research Center, Glaxo,
            quality of life and clinical trials of antihypertensive medication.
•           Licensed psychologist, State of Maine.

Honors and Awards:

•           President’s Award for Research and Creative Achievement, University of Maine (1991).
•           Senior Fellow, Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development,
            Duke University Medical School (1975).
•           Principle Investigator, Age, Risk Factors for CVD and Cognitive Functioning,
            NHLBI & NIA, NIH.
•           Principle Investigator, Hypertension, age and cognitive functioning. MERIT Award,
            NIA, NIH.

Selected Publications:

Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., Robbins, M. A., Wolf, P. A., & D'Agostino, R. B. (in press). Cardiovascular
          risk factors and cognitive functioning: An epidemiological perspective. In S. Waldstein & M. F.Elias (Eds.),
          Neuropsychology of Cardiovascular Disease. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Elias, M. F., Beiser, A., Wolf, P. A., Au, R., White, R. F., & D'Agostino, R. B. (2000). The preclinical
          phase of Alzheimer's disease: A 20-year prospective study of the Framingham cohort. Archives
          of Neurology. 57, 808-813.

Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., D'Agostino, R. B., Cobb, J., & Wolf, P. A. (1999). Comparative effects of
          age and blood pressure on neuropsychological test performance. In S. Manuck, A. Baum,
          J. R. Jennings, R. Schultz, & B. S. Rabin (Eds.), Behavior, Health and Aging (pp. 199-223).
          Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Elias, P. K., Elias, M. F., D'Agostino, R. B., Silbershatz, H., & Wolf, P. A. (1999). Alcohol consumption
          and cognitive performance in the Framingham Heart Study. American Journal of Epidemiology,
          150, 580-589.

Elias, M. F., Robbins, M. A., Elias, P. K., & Streeten, D. H. P. (1998). A longitudinal study of blood
          pressure in relation to performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Health Psychology,
          17, 486-493.

Elias, P. K., Elias, M. F., D'Agostino, R. B., Cupples, L. A., Wilson, P. W., Silbershatz, H., & Wolf, P. A.
          (1997). NIDDM and blood pressure as risk factors for poor cognitive performance: The
          Framingham Study. Diabetes Care, 20, 1388

Elias, M. F., Elias, P. K., D'Agostino, R. B., Silbershatz, H., & Wolf, P. A. (1997). The role of age,
          education, and gender on cognitive performance in the Framingham Study: Community based
          norms. Experimental Aging Research, 23, 201-235

Elias, M. F., Wolf, P. A., D'Agostino, R. B., Cobb, J., & White, L. R. (1993). Untreated blood pressure
          level is inversely related to cognitive functioning. American Journal of Epidemiology, 138, 353-363.

Elias, P. K., D'Agostino, R. B., Elias, M. F., & Wolf, P. A. (1995). Blood pressure, hypertension and
          age as risk factors for poor cognitive performance. Experimental Aging Research, 21, 393-417.

Elias, M. F., D'Agostino, R. B., Elias, P. K., & Wolf, P. A. (1995). Neuropsychological test performance,
          cognitive functioning, blood pressure and age: The Framingham Study. Experimental Aging Research,
          21, 369-391.

Croog, S.H., Elias, M.F., Colton, T., Baume, R.M., Lieblum, S. R., Jenkins, C.D., Perry, H.M., & Hall, W.D.
          (1994). Effects of antihypertensive medications on quality of life in elderly hypertensive women.
          American Journal of Hypertension, 7 (4), 329-339.

Robbins, M. A., Elias, M. F., Croog, S.H. & Colton, T. (1994). Unmedicated blood pressure levels and
          quality of life in elderly hypertensive women. Psychosomatic Medicine, 56, 251-259.

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