Dr. Sharon Stein Merkin

Dr. Sharon Stein Merkin

Israel

sharonm@gertner.health.gov.il
The Gertner Institute of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center
Research work

Research interests include the associations between biological, social and psychological factors and cardio-metabolic risk and disease. Dr. Merkin has focused on health disparities research and in particular, assessing the social determinants of cardiovascular disease health across sociodemographic populations in Israeli and international datasets. In conjunction with these efforts, Dr. Merkin in involved with implementing and evaluating intergenerational programs that are aimed at utilizing findings and applying them to interventions that mitigate and prevent disease progression. Dr. Merkin has had extensive experience in analyzing data from a variety of studies, including complex, longitudinal data from community-based multi-center studies, and maintains several international research collaborations in the United States and Europe.

 

Professional experience

 

The focus of Dr. Merkin’s research involves exploring the associations between biological, social and psychological factors and cardio-metabolic risk and disease. Dr. Merkin’s research includes examining the impact of psychosocial and environmental measures on biological indicators of disease, addressing mechanisms contributing to these associations and assessing potential interventions that may reverse or mitigate these processes.

 

Education

 

Dr. Merkin achieved a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, followed by a Masters of Health Science (MHS) in Epidemiology and a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1999 and 2003, respectively.

Areas of interest & scientific knowledge

Israel

  • Place of affiliation

Social Determinants of Cardio-Metabolic Health

  • Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disparities
  • Immigrant Health
  • Health Literacy
  • Allostatic Load

Early Life Adversity and Cardio-Metabolic Health

  • Childhood Socioeconomic Environments
  • Socio-emotional Adversity

 Social Determinants of Aging

Selected Publications
  • Diez-Roux AV, Merkin SS, Arnett D, Chambless L, Massing M, Nieto FJ, Sorlie P, Szklo M, Tyroler HA, Watson RL. Neighborhood of residence and incidence of coronary heart disease. N Eng J Med 2001;345:99-110.
  • Merkin SS, Stevenson L, Powe N. Geographic socioeconomic status, race and advanced-stage breast cancer in New York City. Am J Public Health 2002 Jan;92(1):64-70.
  • Diez Roux AV, Chambless L, Merkin SS, Arnett D, Eigenbrodt M, Nieto FJ, Szklo M, Sorlie P. Socioeconomic disadvantage and change in blood pressure associated with aging. Circulation 2002 Aug;106(6):703-10.
  • Diez Roux AV, Merkin SS, Hannan P, Jacobs DR, Kiefe CI. Area characteristics, individual-level socioeconomic indicators, and smoking in young adults: the coronary artery disease risk development in young adults study. Am J Epidemiol 2003 Feb;157(4):315-26.
  • Merkin SS, Coresh J, Roux AV, Taylor HA, Powe NR. Area socioeconomic status and progressive CKD: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.Am J Kidney Dis 2005 Aug;46(2):203-13.
  • Merkin SS, Cavanaugh K, Longenecker JC, Fink NE, Levey AS, Powe NR.  Agreement of self-reported comorbid conditions with medical and physician reports varied by disease among end-stage renal disease patients. J Clin Epidemiol 2007;60:634-42.
  • Merkin SS, Diez Roux AV, Coresh J, Fried LF, Jackson SA, Powe NR. Individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status and progressive chronic kidney disease in an elderly population: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Soc Sci Med 2007,65:809-21.
  • Seeman TE, Merkin SS, Crimmins E, Koretz B, Karlamangla AS. Education, Income and Ethnic Differences in Cumulative Biological Risk Profiles in a National Sample of US Adults: NHANES III (1988-1994). Soc Sci Med 2008 Jan;66(1):72-87.
  • Cavanaugh KL, Merkin SS, Plantinga LC, Fink NE, Sadler JH, Powe NR. Accuracy of patients' reports of comorbid disease and their association with mortality in ESRD. Am J Kidney Dis 2008 Jul;52(1):118-27.
  • Merkin SS. Exploring the pathways between socioeconomic status and end-stage renal disease. Am J Kidney Dis 2008;51(4):539-541.
  • Merkin SS, Karlamangla AS, Crimmins E, Charette SL, Hayward M, Kim JK, Koretz B, Seeman TE. Education differentials by race and ethnicity in the diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolemia: a national sample of U.S. adults (NHANES 1999-2002). Int J Public Health 2009;54(3):166-74
  • Epel ES, Merkin SS, Cawthon R, Blackburn EH, Adler NE, Pletcher MJ, Seeman TE. The rate of leukocyte telomere shortening predicts mortality from cardiovascular disease in elderly men. Aging 2009;1(1):81-8.
  • Merkin SS, Basurto-Dávila R, Karlamangla AS, Bird C, Lurie N, Escarce J, Seeman TE. Neighborhoods and cumulative biological risk profiles by race/ethnicity in a national sample of U.S. adults: NHANES III. Ann Epidemiol 2009;19(3):194-201.
  • Seeman T, Merkin SS, Crimmins E, Karlamangla A. Disability Trends Among Older Americans:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Am J Public Health 2010;100(1):100-7
  • Merkin SS. Neighborhoods, Race, and Nephrology Care. J Am Soc Nephrol 2010 Jun; 21(7):1068-70.
  • Karlamangla AS, Merkin SS, Crimmins EM, Seeman TE. Socioeconomic and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular risk in the United States, 2001-2006. Ann Epidemiol 2010 Aug;20(8):617-28.
  • Bird CE, Seeman TE, Escarce JJ, Basurto-Davila R, Finch BK, Dubowitz T, Heron M, Hale L, Merkin SS, Weden M, Lurie N. Neighborhood socioeconomic status and biological “wear and tear” in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. J Epidemiol Community Health 2010 Oct;64(10):860-5.
  • Do DP, Diez Roux AV, Hajat A, Auchincloss A, Merkin SS, Ranjit N, Shea S, Seeman TE. Circadian rhythm of cortisol and neighborhood characteristics in a population-based sample: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Health & Place 2011;17(2):625-32.
  • Merkin, SS, Azziz R, Seeman TE, Calderon-Margalit R, Daviglus M, Kiefe C, Matthews K, Sternfeld B, Siscovick D. Socioeconomic status and polycystic ovary syndrome. J Womens Health 2011;20(3):413-19. 
  • Wang ET, Calderon-Margalit R, Cedars MI, Daviglus ML, Merkin SS, Schreiner PJ, Sternfeld B, Wellons M, Schwartz SM, Lewis CE, Williams OD, Siscovick DS, Bibbins-Domingo K. Polycystic ovary syndrome and risk for long-term diabetes and dyslipidemia. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jan;117(1):6-13.
  • Seeman TE, Miller-Martinez DM, Merkin SS, Lachman ME, Tun PA, Karlamangla AS. Histories of Social Engagement and Adult Cognition: Midlife in the U.S. Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2011 Jul;66 Suppl 1:i141-52.
  • Brown AF, Liang LJ, Vassar SD, Merkin SS, Longstreth WT Jr, Ovbiagele B, Yan T, Escarce JJ. Neighborhood disadvantage and ischemic stroke: the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Stroke 2011 Dec;42(12):3363-8.
  • Gruenewald TL, Karlamangla AS, Hu P, Merkin SS, Crandall C, Koretz B, Seeman TE. History of socioeconomic disadvantage and allostatic load in later life. Soc Sci Med 2012 Jan;74(1):75-83.
  • Crandall CJ, Merkin SS, Seeman TE, Greendale GA, Binkley N, Karlamangla AS. Socioeconomic status over the life-course and adult bone mineral density: the midlife in the U.S. study. Bone. 2012 Jul;51(1):107-13.
  • Brown AF, Liang LJ, Vassar SD, Merkin SS, Longstreth WT Jr, Ovbiagele B, Yan T, Escarce JJ. Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and mortality after stroke. Neurology 2013 Feb;80(6):520-7.
  • Freedman VA, Spillman BC, Andreski PM, Cornman JC, Crimmins EM, Kramarow E, Lubitz J, Martin LG, Merkin SS, Schoeni RF, Seeman TEE, Waidman TA. Trends in late-life activity limitations in the United States: an update from five national surveys.  Demography 2013 Apr;50(2):661-71.
  • Yan T, Escarce JJ, Liang LJ, Longstreth WT Jr, Merkin SS, Ovbiagele B, Vassar SD, Seeman TE, Sarkisian CA, Brown AF. Exploring psychosocial pathways between neighbourhood characteristics and stroke in older adults: the cardiovascular health study. Age Ageing 2013 May;42(3):391-7.
  • Hajat A, Diez-Roux AV, Sánchez BN, Holvoet P, Lima JA, Merkin SS, Polak JF, Seeman TE, Wu M. Examining the association between salivary cortisol levels and subclinical measures of atherosclerosis: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013 Jul;38(7):1036-46.
  • Karlamangla AS, Mori T, Merkin SS, Seeman TE, Greendale GA, Binkley N, Crandall CJ. Childhood socioeconomic status and adult femoral neck bone strength: Findings from the Midlife in the United States Study. Bone 2013 Oct;56(2):320-6.    
  • Merkin SS, Karlamangla AS, Diez Roux AV, Shrager S, Seeman TE. Lifecourse socioeconomic status and longitudinal accumulation of allostatic load in adulthood: multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Am J Public Health 2014 Apr;104(4):e48-55. Epub 2014 Feb 13.
  • Mori, T, Karlamangla, AS, Merkin, SS, Crandall, CJ, Binkley, N, Greendale, GA, Seeman, TE. Multi-System Dysregulation and Bone Strength: Findings from the Study of Midlife in the Unites States, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May;99(5):1843-51. Epub 2014 Feb 14.
  • Calderon-Margalit R, Siscovick D, Merkin SS, Wang E, Daviglus ML, Schreiner PJ, Sternfeld B, Williams OD, Lewis CE, Aziz R, Schwartz SM, Wellons MF. The Prospective Association of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Coronary Artery Calcification and Carotid-IMT: the CARDIA Women's Study. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2014 Dec;34(12):2688-94..
  • Seeman M, Merkin SS, Karlamangla A, Koretz B, Seeman T. Social status and biological dysregulation: The "status syndrome" and allostatic load. Soc Sci Med. 2014 Oct;118:143-51.
  • Crandall CJ, Karlamangla AS, Merkin SS, Binkley N, Carr D, Greendale GA, Seeman TE. Adult bone strength of children from single-parent families: the Midlife in the United States Study. Osteoporos Int. 2015 Mar;26(3):931-42.
  • Carroll JE, Irwin MR, Merkin SS, Seeman TE. Sleep and Multisystem Biological Risk: A Population-Based Study. PLoS One. 2015 Feb 25;10(2):e0118467.
  • Hajat A, Moore K, Do DP, Merkin SS, Punjabi NM, Sanchez BN, Seeman T, Diez-Roux AV.  Examining the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between diurnal cortisol and neighborhood characteristics: Evidence from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.  Health & Place. 2015 Jul; 34: 199-206. PMID: 26073509
  • Merkin SS, Arditi-Babchuk H, Shohat T. Neighborhood socioeconomic status and self-rated health in Israel: the Israel National Health Interview Survey.  Int J Public Health. 2015 Sep;60(6):651-8. Epub 2015 Jul 2. PMID: 26135236
  • Chodosh J, Price RM, Cadogan MP, Damron-Rodriguez J, Osterweil D, Czerwinski A, Tan ZS, Merkin SS, Gans D, Frank JC. A Practice Improvement Education (PIE) Program Using a Mentored Approach to Improve Nursing Facility Depression Care - Preliminary Data. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Nov;63(11):2395-9. 
  • Merkin SS, Karlamangla A, Elashoff D, Grogan T, Seeman TE.  Change in cardiometabolic score and incidence of cardiovascular disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Annals of Epidemiology.  2015 Dec;25(12):912-917. Epub 2015 Sep 30. PMID: 26603128
  • Yan T, Liang LJ, Vassar S, Katz MC, Escarce JJ, Longstreth WT, Merkin SS, Brown AF. Neighborhood characteristics are associated with racial and gender variation in walking among older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Ethnicity & Disease. 2016 Jan 21;26(1):17-26.
  • Merkin SS, Phy JL, Sites CK, Yang D. Environmental determinants of polycystic    ovary syndrome: Review, Fertility and Sterility, 2016 Jul;106(1):16-24.  
  • Tan ZS, Damron-Rodriguez J, Cadogan M,  Gans D,  Price, RM, Merkin SS, Jennings L, Schickedanz H, Shimomura S, Osterweil D, Joshua Chodosh J.  Team-based Interprofessional Competency (TIC) Training in Dementia Screening and Management . J Am Geriatr Soc., 2017; 65(1):207-211
  • Seeman T, Thomas D, Merkin SS, Moore K, Watson K, Karlamangla A. The Great Recession worsened blood pressure and blood glucose levels in American adults. PNAS Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Mar 27;115(13):3296-3301. PMID:29531048
  • Brown AF, Liang LJ, Vassar SD, Escarce JJ, Merkin SS, Cheng E, Richards A, Seeman T, Longstreth WT Jr. Trends in Racial/Ethnic and Nativity Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Among Adults Without Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease in the United States, 1988 to 2014. Ann Intern Med. 2018; 168(8):541-549. PMID:29554692
  • Karlamangla AS, Merkin, SS, Almeida DM, Friedman EM, Mogle JA, Seeman    TE. Early-Life Adversity and Dysregulation of Adult Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm.  J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2018.
  • Goldwater D, Karlamangla A, Merkin SS, Watson K, Seeman T, Interleukin-10 as a predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events in a racially and ethnically diverse population: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Annals of Epidemiology. Ann Epidemiol. 2019 Feb;30:9-14.e1.
  • Mayne SL, Hicken MT, Merkin SS, Seeman TE, Kershaw KN, Do DP, Hajat A, Diez Roux AV. Neighborhood Racial/Ethnic Residential Segregation and Cardiometabolic Risk: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 2019 Jan;73(1):26-33
  • Pereira SP, Merkin SS, Seeman T, Power C. Understanding associations of early-life adversities with inflammatory profiles in mid-life: Evidence from two cohorts in the UK and USA, Brain, Behavior and Immunity 2019 May;78:143-152
  • Rodriguez JM,  Karlamangla AS , Gruenewald TL, Miller-Martinez D, Merkin SS, Seeman TE. Social stratification and allostatic load: shapes of health differences in the MIDUS study in the United States. Journal of Biosocial Science 2019: 1-18.
  • Goldwater D, Karlamangla A, Merkin SS, Seeman T. Compared to non-drinkers, individuals who drink alcohol have a more favorable multisystem physiologic risk score as measured by allostatic load. PLoS One. 2019 Sep 30;14(9):e0223168.
  • Hajat A, Hazlehurst MF, Golden SH, Merkin SS, Seeman T, Szpiro AA, Kaufman JD, Roux AD. The cross-sectional and longitudinal association between air pollution and salivary cortisol: Evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Environ Int. 2019 Oct;131:105062.
  • Seeman T, Merkin SS, Goldwater D, Cole SW. Intergenerational Mentoring, Eudaimonic Well-being and Gene Regulation in Older Adults: A Pilot Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020:111,104468.
  • Azziz R, Kintziger K, Li R, Laven J, Morin-Papunen L, Merkin SS, Teede H, Yildiz BO. Recommendations for epidemiologic and phenotypic research in polycystic ovary syndrome: an androgen excess and PCOS society resource. Hum Reprod. 2019 Nov 1;34(11):2254-2265.
  • Pierce JB, Kershaw KN, Kiefe CI, Jacobs DR, Sidney S, Merkin SS, Feinglass J. Association of Childhood Psychosocial Environment with Cardiovascular Incidence Disease and Mortality in Middle Age. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 May 5;9(9):e015326. 
  • Merkin SS, Karlamangla A, Diez Roux A, Shrager S, Watson K, Seeman T. Race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status and cardio-metabolic risk. Social Science and Medicine- Population Health 2020 Jul 23;11:100634. PMID: 32775593 
  • Bae S, Chang LC, Merkin SS, Elashoff D, Ishigami J, Matsushita K, Charles-Schoeman C. Major Lipids and Future Risk of Pneumonia: 20 Year Observations of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Cohort. Am J Med. 2021 Feb;134(2):243-251.e2
  • Anderson, M.D., Merkin, S.S., Rose, S.E. et al. Health Literacy Within a Diverse Community-Based Cohort: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Immigrant Minority Health 2021 Aug;23(4):659-667. PMID: 33206278
  • Lin AW, Siscovick D, Sternfeld B, Schreiner P, Lewis CE, Wang ET, Merkin SS, Wellons M, Steffen L, Calderon-Margalit R, Cassano PA, Lujan ME. Associations of diet, physical activity and polycystic ovary syndrome in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Women’s Study. BMC Public Health 2021 Jan 6;21(1):3
  • Seeman M, Merkin SS, Karlamangla A, et al. On the Biopsychosocial Costs of Alienated Labor. Work, Employment and Society. 2021;35(5):891-913.
  • Aguayo L, Chirinos DA, Heard-Garris N, Wong M, Davis MM, Merkin SS, Seeman T, Kershaw KN.  The Association of Exposure to Abuse, Nurture and Household Organization in Childhood with Four Cardiovascular Disease Risks Factors among Participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.  J Am Heart Assoc. 2022 May 3;11(9):e023244. 
  • Karlamangla AS, Almeida DM, Lachman ME, Merkin SS, Thomas D, Seeman  TE.Diurnal dynamic range as index of dysregulation of system dynamics. A cortisol examplar using data from the Study of Midlife in the United States. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2022 Aug;142:105804. 
  • Schmitz LL, Duffie El, Zhao W, Ratliff SM, Ding J, Liu Y, Merkin SS, Smith JA, Seeman T. Early life adversity associations with later life epigenetic aging profiles in the Mutli-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. American J of Epidemiology, 2023 Nov 10;192(12):1991-2005
  • Adam HS, Merkin SS, Anderson MD, Seeman T. Kershaw KN, Magnami JW, Everson-Rose SA, Lutsey PL. Personal health literacy and life simply 7: The Multi Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. American Journal of Health Education, 2023 54:6, 451-462
  • Hu P, Crimmins EM, Kim JK, Potter A, Cofferen J, Merkin S, McCreath H, Seeman T. Harmonization of Four Biomarkers Across Nine Nationally Representative Studies of Older Persons. American Journal of Human Biology, 2023 Dec 9:e24030 (online ahead of print)
Tel Aviv University makes every effort to respect copyright. If you own copyright to the content contained
here and / or the use of such content is in your opinion infringing Contact the referral system >>
Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel