Faculty & Staff

Deborah B. Nelson
Associate Professor of Public Health and Program Director: Master of Science in Epidemiology

Dr. Deborah B. Nelson is a reproductive epidemiologist with work focusing on environmental, genetic and behavioral factors influencing several pregnancy outcomes including spontaneous abortion and pre-eclampsia, , as well as studies exploring the role of various in-utero exposures and chronic health outcomes. Dr. Nelson is an Assistant Professor of Public Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Public Health, College of Health Professions and the Director of the Masters of Science in Epidemiology program. Dr Nelson’s projects include a prospective cohort study designed to examine the role of first trimester bacterial vaginosis and the risk of spontaneous abortion among pregnant women receiving prenatal care in Philadelphia, a prospective study examining the relationship between pelvic inflammatory disease and chronic pelvic pain and involuntary infertility, and a case-control study examining the association between inter-personal violence, psychosocial stress and spontaneous abortion. Dr. Nelson has published numerous manuscripts in the area of women’s health and reproduction and co-authored a book chapter on Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

Education:

University of Pittsburgh, Ph.D. in Epidemiology; 1998
State University of New York, Albany  MS in Epidemiology; 1991

Research Interests:

Epidemiology
Maternal-Child Health
Womens’ Health
Violence

Selected Publications and Presentations

Nelson DB, Bellamy S, Gray TS, Nachamkin I.  Self-Collected vs. Provider-Collected Vaginal Swabs for the Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis: An Assessment of Validity and Reliability.  J of Clin Epi 2003; 56: 1-5.

Nelson DB, McMahon K, Joffe M, Brensinger C.  The Effect of Depressive Symptoms and Optimism on the Risk of Spontaneous Abortion among Inner-City Women.  Journal of Women’s Health 2003; 12(6): 569-576.

Nelson DB, Grisso JA, Joffe, MM, Brensinger C, Shaw L, Datner E. Does Stress Influence Early Pregnancy Loss? Annals of Epidemiology 2003; 13(4): 223-229.

Modugno F, Moslehi R, Ness RB, Nelson DB, Belle S, Kant J, Wheeler J, Wonderlick A, Fishman D, Karlan B, Risch H, Cramer D, Dube M, Narod S. Reproductive Factors and Ovarian Cancer Risk in Jewish BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers. Cancer Causes and Control 2003; 14(5): 439-446.

Nelson DB, Grisso JA, Joffe MM, Brensinger C, McMahon K, Shaw L, Datner E.  Does Violence Influence Early Pregnancy Loss? Fertility and Sterility 2003; 80(5):1205-1211.

Sammel MD, Grisso JA, Freeman EW, Hollander L, Liu  L, Nelson DB, Battistini M.  Weight Gain among Women in the Late Reproductive Years.  Family Practice 2003; 20(4): 401-409.

Nelson DB, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Liu L, Langan E, Gracia CR.  Predicting Participation in Prospective Cohort Studies.  Menopause 2003; 11(5):1-6.

Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Liu L, Gracia CR, Nelson DB, Hollander L.  Hormones and Menopausal Status as Predictors of Depression in Women in the Transition to Menopause.  Arch Gen Psychiatry 2004; 61(1): 62-70.

Garcia CR, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Liu L, Hollander L, Nelson DB.  Predictors of Decreased Libido in Women during the Late Reproductive Years.  Menopause 2004; 11(2): 144-150.

Ness RB, Randall H, Richter H, Peipert  J, Montagno A, Soper DE, Sweet RL, Nelson DB, et al.  Condom Use and the Risk of Recurrent Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Chronic Pelvic Pain, or Infertility Following an Episode of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. AJPH 2004; 94(8): 1327-29.

Haggerty CL, Peipert JF, Weitzen S, Hendrix SL, Holley RL, Nelson DB, Randall H, Soper DE, Wiesenfeld HC, Ness RB.  Predictors of Chronic Pelvic Pain in an Urban Population of Women with Symptoms and Signs of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.  Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2005: 32(5):293-9.

Nelson DB, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Gracia CR, Liu L, Langan E.  Tubal Ligation Does Not Affect Hormonal Changes During the Early Menopausal Transition.  Contraception 2005; 71(2):104-10.

Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Gracia CR, Kapoor S, Liu H, Nelson DB.  Follicular Phase Hormone Levels and Menstrual Bleeding Status in the Approach to Menopause. Fertil Steril 2005; 83(2):383-92.

Gracia CR, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Liu H, Langan E, Kapoor S, Nelson DB.  Defining Menopausal Status: Creation of a New Definition to Identify the Early Changes of the Menopausal Transition.  Menopause 2005;12(2):117-20

Datner EM, Wiebe DJ, Brensinger C, Nelson DB*. Identifying Pregnant Women Experiencing Domestic Violence in an Urban Emergency Department. The Journal of  Interpersonal Violence 2007; 22(1):124-35.

Lead author

Gracia CR, Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lan H, Kapoor S, Nelson DB.  The Relationship between Obesity and Race on Inhibin B During the Menopausal Transition.  Menopause 2005; 12(5):559-66, 2005.

Macones GA, Peipert J, Nelson DB, Odibo A, Stevens EJ, Stamilio DM, Pare E, Elovitz M, Sciscione A, Sammel MD, Ratcliffe SJ. Maternal complications with vaginal birth after cesarean delivery: a Multicenter study.  AJ Obstet Gynec 2005; 193(5): 1656-62.

Odibo AO, Stamilio DM, Nelson DB, Sehdev HM, Macones GA.  A Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Prenatal Screening Strategies for Down Syndrome. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2006; 106(3):562-8

Ness RB, Trautmann G, Richter HE, Randall H, Peipert JF, Nelson DB, Schubeck D, McNeeley SG, Trout W, Babb DC, Soper DE.  Effectiveness of Treatment Strategies of Some Women with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: A Randomized Trial.  Obstetrics & Gynecology 2005;106(3):573-80.

Cahill A, Stamilio DM, Pare E, Peipert JP, Stevens EJ, Nelson DB, Macones GA.  Vaginal birth after cesearna (VBAC) Attempt in Twin Pregnancies: Is It Safe?  American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2005;193(3 Pt 2):1050-5.

Coassolo KM, Stamilio DM, Pare E, Peipert JF, Stevens E, Nelson DB, Macones GA.  Safety and Efficacy of Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Attempts at or beyond > 40 Weeks Gestation. Obstet Gynecol 2005; 106(4):700-6.

Nelson DB.  Treatment and Management of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) in Pregnancy.  Womens Health 2006; 2(2):267-275 

Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Nelson DB.  Association of Hormones and Menopausal Status with Depressed Mood in Women with No History of Depression.  Arch of General Psych 2006; 63(4):375-382. 

Odibo, A, Nelson DB, Stamilio D, Sehdev H, Macones GA. Advanced Maternal Age Is An Independent  Risk Factor for Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Am J Perinatology 2006;23(5):325-8

Sarwer DB, Allison KC, Gibbons LM, Tuttman-Makrowitz J. Nelson DB. Pregnancy and Obesity: A Review and Agenda for Future Research. Journal of Womens Health 2006;15 (6):720-733.

Nelson DB, Bellamy S, Odibo AO, Nachamkin I, Ness RB, Allen-Taylor, L. Vaginal Symptoms and   Bacterial Vaginosis(BV): How Useful is Self-Report? Development of a Scoring System for  Prediction BV Status. Epidem Infection 2007;135(8):1369-75.

Nelson DB, Bellamy S, Nachamkin I, Ness RB, Allen-Taylor, L. First Trimester Bacterial Vaginosis,  Individual Microorganism Levels and Risk of Second Trimester Pregnancy Loss among Urban  Women. Fertil Steril 2007; 88(5):1396-403.

Nelson DB, Bellamy S, Clothier BA, Macones GA, Nachamkin I,  Ruffin A, Allen-Taylor L.  Characteristics and Pregnancy Outcomes of Pregnant Women Asymptomatic for Bacterial Vaginosis.  Maternal Child Health Journal  2008;12(2):216-22.

Trautmann GM, Kip KE, Richter HE, Randal H, Soper DE, Peipert JF, Nelson DB, Schubeck D,       McNeeley G, Bass DC, Ness RB. Do Short-term markers of treatment efficacy predict long-term     sequelae of PID? Am J Obstet Gynceol 2008;198(1):31-7.

Arechavaleta-Velasco F, Gomez L, Ma Y, Zhao J, McGrath CM, Sammel MD, Nelson DB,  Parry S. Adverse Reproductive Outcomes In Urban Women With Adeno-Associated Virus-2 Infections In Early Pregnancy. Human Reproduction 2008;23(1):29-36

Schmidt KA, Lin H, Sammel MD, Gracia CR, Nelson DB, Kapoor S, DeBlasis TL, Freeman EW  Association of Physical Activity with Reproductive Hormones:  The Penn Ovarian Aging Study.  Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2007;16(10):2042-7.

Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Line H, Gracia CR, Pien GW, Nelson DB, Sheng L. Symptoms Associated with Menopausal Transition and Reproductive Hormones in Midlife Women. Obstet Gynecol 2007;110(2):230-40.

Nelson DB, Sammel MD, Freeman EW, Lin H, Gracia CR, Mogul M, Schmitz KH. Effect of   Physical Activity on Menopausal Symptoms among Urban Women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2008;40(1):50-8

Friedenberg FK*, Palit A, Parkman HP, Hanlon A, Bohning M, Nelson DB. Long-term Effects of Intrapyloric Botulinum Toxin A in Patients with Delayed Gastric Emptying. American Journal of Gastroenterology  2008;103(2):416-23 MS Epi Student, Mentee

Gomez LM, Ma Y, Ho C, McGrath CM, Nelson DB, Parry S. Placental Infection with Human Papillomavirus Is Associated with Spontaneous Preterm Delivery. Human Reproduction 2008;23(3):709-15

Ness RB, Soper DE, Richter HE, Randall H, Peipert JF, Nelson DB, Schubeck D, McNeeley SG, Trout W, Bass DC, Hutchison K, Kip K, Brunham RC. Chlamydia antibodies, Chlamydia heat shock protein, and adverse sequelae after pelvic inflammatory disease: the PID Evaluation and Clinical Health (PEACH) Study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2008;35(2):129-35.

Usher-Pines L, Hanlon AL, Nelson DB*. Racial Differences in bacterial vaginosis and Pregnant Women: The Relationship between Demographic and behavioral Predictors and Individual BV-Related Microorganism Levels. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2008 (In Press)