Rachel G Miller, PhD

My research focuses on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of complication development in type 1 diabetes through applying various analytic methods which are under-used in epidemiology, such as regression trees, accelerated failure time models, and joint modeling, to address limitations of more traditional statistical approaches. I am particularly interested in utilizing longitudinal data to investigate factors that may contribute to the earlier identification of risk for cardiovascular and renal complications. Most of this work has focused on data from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study (EDC), a longitudinal prospective cohort study of type 1 diabetes, which has been followed for over 30 years. Currently, I am the PI of an American Diabetes Association Junior Faculty Development Award project entitled Epigenetics of Glycemic Exposure and Complication Development in Type 1 Diabetes, the goal of which is to examine whether differential DNA methylation improves prediction of type 1 diabetes complications over what is already predicted by long-term blood sugar control. Additionally, I have extensive experience planning and executing statistical analyses of studies in lifestyle modification research. I have served as a statistician on several community-based translational/effectiveness trials, including Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Change; Impact on Lifestyle Intervention Effects for Diabetes Translation and Diabetes Prevention Translation Project - The healthy LIFESTYLE Program.

2016 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | PhD Epidemiology

2005 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | MS Biostatistics

2003 | University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA | BS Microbiology

Principal Investigator

Epigenetics of Glycemic Exposure and Complication Development in Type 1 Diabetes. American Diabetes Association 1-19-JDF-109, 2019-2022

Autoantibody Status of Long-Duration Type 1 Diabetes and Its Association with Residual Beta Cell Function. University of Pittsburgh Central Research Development Fund, 2018-2020

Co-Investigator

Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications: Phase II (R01).  NIDDK DK034818, 2008-2019 (PI: Orchard)

Re-evaluating the role of HDL in coronary artery disease (RETRO HDL), NIH/NHLBI R01 HL130153, 2016-2019 (PI: Costacou)

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Change; Impact on Lifestyle. NIH/NIDDK R18 DK100933-09, 2015-2019 (PI: Kriska)

0000-0003-1845-8477

MyBibliography

Miller RG, Costacou T, Orchard TJ. Risk factor modeling for cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study: A comparison to the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/ Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study. Diabetes. 2019; 68(20): 409-419.

Williams KV, Cristaldi CL, Miller RG, Arena VC, Libman I, Huang Y, Becker DJ, Orchard TJ. Celiac Autoimmunity Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure and Renal Risk in Type 1 Diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Oct; 103(10): 3828-3836.   

Miller RG, Anderson SJ, Costacou T, Sekikawa A, Orchard TJ.  Hemoglobin A1c and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence in Type 1 Diabetes: An Application Of Joint Modeling Of Longitudinal And Time-To-Event Data In The Pittsburgh Epidemiology Of Diabetes Complications (EDC) Study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2018 Jul; 187(7):1520-1529.

Ray EC, Miller RG, Demko JE, Costacou T, Kinlough CL, Demko CL, Unruh ML, Orchard TJ, Kleyman TR. Urinary Plasmin(ogen) as a Prognostic Factor for Hypertension. Kidney Int Rep. 2018 Jun; 3(6): 1434-1442.

Miller RG, Mahajan HD, Costacou T, Sekikawa A, Anderson SJ, Orchard TJ. A Contemporary Estimate of Total Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: The Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study. Diabetes Care. 2016 Dec;39(12):2296-2303. 

Miller RG, Anderson SJ, Costacou T, Sekikawa A, Orchard TJ. Risk stratification for 25-year cardiovascular disease incidence in type 1 diabetes: Tree-structured survival analysis of the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2016 Jul;13(4):250-9. 

Eaglehouse YL, Rockette-Wagner B, Kramer MK, Arena VC, Miller RG, Vanderwood KK, Kriska AM. Physical Activity Levels in a Community Lifestyle Intervention: A Randomized Trial. Transl J Am Coll Sports Med. 2016 Jun 1;1(5):45-51. 

Costacou T, Levy AP, Miller RG, Snell-Bergeon J, Asleh R, Farbstein D, Fickley CE, Pambianco G, de la Vega R, Evans RW, Orchard TJ. Effect of vitamin E supplementation on HDL function by haptoglobin genotype in type 1 diabetes: results from the HapE randomized crossover pilot trial. Acta Diabetologica. 2016; 53(2): 243-50.

Kramer MK, Molenaar DM, Arena VC, Venditti EM, Meehan RJ, Miller RG, Vanderwood KK, Eaglehouse Y, Kriska AM. Improving employee health: evaluation of a worksite lifestyle change program to decrease risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. J Occup Environ Med. 2015 Mar;57(3):284-9. 

Miller RG, Secrest AM, Ellis D, Becker DJ, Orchard TJ. Changing impact of modifiable risk factors on the incidence of major outcomes of type 1 diabetes: The Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study. Diabetes Care. 2013 Dec;36(12):3999-4006. 

Miller RG, Secrest AM, Sharma RK, Songer TJ, Orchard TJ. Improvements in the life expectancy of type 1 diabetes: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study cohort. Diabetes. 2012 Nov;61(11):2987-92. 

Ix JH, Miller RG, Criqui MH, Orchard TJ. Test characteristics of the ankle-brachial index and ankle-brachial difference for medial arterial calcification on X-ray in type 1 diabetes. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2012 Sep; 56(3): 721-727.

Orchard TJ, Secrest AM, Miller RG, Costacou T. In the absence of renal disease, 20 year mortality risk in type 1 diabetes is comparable to that of the general population: a report from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study. Diabetologia. 2010 Nov; 53(11): 2312-19.

Conway B, Miller RG, Costacou T, Fried L, Kelsey S, Evans RW, Orchard TJ. Temporal patterns in overweight and obesity in type 1 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine. 2010 Apr; 27(4): 398-404.

Miller RG, Costacou T, Orchard TJ. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, C-reactive protein, and coronary artery disease in individuals with type 1 diabetes and macroalbuminuria. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research. 2010 Jan; 7(1): 47-55.

Kramer MK, Kriska AM, Venditti EM, Miller RG, Brooks MM, Burke LE, Siminerio LM, Solano FX, Orchard TJ. Translating the Diabetes Prevention Program: a comprehensive model for prevention training and program delivery. Am J Prev Med. 2009 Dec;37(6):505-11. 

Miller RG, Prince CT, Klein R, Orchard TJ. Retinal vessel diameter and the incidence of coronary artery disease in type 1 diabetes. American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2009 Apr; 147(4): 653-60.

Conway B, Miller RG, Costacou T, Fried L, Kelsey S, Evans RW, Edmundowicz D, Orchard TJ. Double-edged relationship between adiposity and coronary artery calcification in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research. 2007 Dec; 4(4): 332-39.