Susan Messing, M.A., M.S. Research Associate Consulting Service Coordinator

In my capacity as a research associate faculty member I have been involved with data analysis, study design, and protocol assessment of research data, particularly clinical trial data. I have been involved in Parkinson disease studies as well as HPV infection and control of HIV. Much of my time is spent in protocol evaluation for the General Clinical Research Center, where I assess the appropriateness of the study design, sample size requirements, and statistical analyses plan of those studies wishing to utilize GCRC facilities.

I have been involved in development of assessment tools for diabetic retinopathy and age-related eye diseases, as well as the evaluation of the reliability of the eye-disease scales. These scales have led to the establishment of time-appropriate treatment (photocoagulation) schedules to control disease progression.

I provide support for biostatistics classes for medical students and graduate students in various medical school programs. This support includes helping students develop facility with various statistical programming packages.

I have obtained my Masters of Art degree in Educational Psychology from New York University in 1974 and my Masters of Science degree in Statistics from Stanford University in 1978.

Selected References

• Schwarzschild, M.A., Chen, J-F, Tennis, M., Messing, S., Kamp, C., Ascherio, A., Holloway, R.G., Marek, K., Tanner,C.M., McDermott,M., Lang, A.E., The Parkinson Study Group. (2003). ?Relating Caffeine Consumption to Parkinson?s Disease Progression and Dyskinesias Development. ?Presented at the ?17th Annual Symposia on Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Parkinson?s Disease and Other Movement Disorders? in San Francisco.
• Diabetes Control and Complication Trial Research Group: The effect of intensive diabetes treatment on the progression of diabetic retinopathy in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Arch. Ophthmol. 1995; 113:36-51.
• Age-related Eye Disease Study Group. Photograph reading center procedures (Chapter 15); Wisconsin age-related maculopathy grading system: AREDS summary grading protocol (Appendix 15B); Wisconsin AREDS lens opacity grading protocol (Appendix 15D); AREDS Manual of Operations (Revised 1994). EMMES Corporation, 11325 Seven Locks Road, Suite 214, Potomac, MD 20854.
• Diabetes Control and Complication Trial Research Group: The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N. Eng. J. Med. 1993; 339:977-986.