About Fawaz Mzayek

Fawaz Mzayek, MD, MPH, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology. He earned an MD from the University of Aleppo School Of Medicine, in Aleppo, Syria, a Masters in Public Health and a PhD in epidemiology from Tulane University. He currently holds an adjunct position at Tulane University. Dr. Mzayek has extensive experience in the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. He has been working with large datasets from longitudinal studies such as the Bogalusa Heart Study, the renowned longitudinal, community‐based study of the natural evolution of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Mzayek also has a strong background in drug development and pharmacology. His work focuses on study design and research methods, and he has extensive experience in the conduct and analysis of clinical trials. Other areas of research interest include tobacco control and diabetes.

Education

• MD, University of Aleppo Medical School, Syria
• MPH, International Health, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans
• PhD, Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans .

Research Interests

• Cardiovascular risk factors epidemiology
• Tobacco control

Selected Publications

1. Bandar Shukr, Debra Bartelli, Kenneth D. Ward, Meredith Ray, Wasim Maziak, Fawaz Mzayek. The effect of exposure to tobacco smoking-related media messages on youths' smoking behavior in Jordan: A longitudinal, school-based study. Preventive Medicine. Volume 166, 2023;107386. ISSN 0091-7435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107386.
2. Wogksch MD, Finch ER, Nolan VG, Smeltzer MP, Mzayek F, Goodenough CG, Pui C, Inaba H, Mulrooney DA, Kaste SC, Brinkman TM, Lanctot JQ, Srivastava DK, Jefferies JL, Armstrong GT, Robison LL, Hudson MM and Ness KK (2022) Energy cost of walking in obese survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort. Front. Pediatr. 10:976012. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.976012.
3. Kheirallah KA, Al-Zureikat SH, Al-Mistarehi AH, Alsulaiman JW, AlQudah M, Khassawneh AH, Lorettu L, Bellizzi S, Mzayek F, Elbarazi I, Serlin IA. The Association of Conflict-Related Trauma with Markers of Mental Health Among Syrian Refugee Women: The Role of Social Support and Post-Traumatic Growth. Int J Womens Health. 2022 Sep 5;14:1251-1266. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S360465. PMID: 36092127; PMCID: PMC9462433.
4. Rathod, R., Zhang, H., Karmaus, W. et al. Association of childhood BMI trajectory with post-adolescent and adult lung function is mediated by pre-adolescent DNA methylation. Respir Res 23, 194 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-022-02089-4.
5. Ward K, Ahn S, Mzayek F, Al Ali R, Rastam S, Asfar T, Fouad F, Maziak W. The Relationship Between Waterpipe Smoking and Body Weight: Population-Based Findings From Syria Nicotine Tob Res, 2015;17:34-40.doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu121
6. Mzayek F. Epigenetics: A New Peek into the Black Box of Behavior. J Transl Med Epidemiol 2013;1:1005
7. Mzayek F, Khader Y, Eissenberg T, Al Ali R, Ward KD, Maziak W, MD. Patterns of Water-Pipe and Cigarette Smoking Initiation in Schoolchildren: Irbid Longitudinal Smoking Study. NTR 2011;14:448-54. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntr234
8. Krogstad D, Diop S, Diallo A, Mzayek F, Keating J, Koita O, and Touré Y. Informed Consent in Developing and Developed Countries: the Rationale for Different Approaches. AJTMH 2010;83:743-47
9. Janka JJ, Koita O, Traoré B, Traoré JM, Mzayek F, Sachdev V, Wang X, Sanogo K, Sangaré L, Mendelsohn L, Masur H, Kato GJ, Gladwin MT, and Krogstad D. Increased Pulmonary Pressures and Myocardial Wall Stress in Children with Severe Malaria. JID 2010;202:791-800
10. Mzayek F, Sherwin R, Hughes J, Hassig S, Srinivasan SR, Chen W, Berenson GS. The association of birth weight with arterial stiffness in mid-adulthood: The Bogalusa Heart Study. J Epidemiol Comm Health 2009:63:729-733
11. Mzayek F, Ylöstalo J, Krogstad DJ. Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells in Bacterial Sepsis and Severe P. falciparum Malaria: Do We Know Enough to Consider Clinical Trials? (editorial) Critical Care Medicine 2008;36:2690-92
12. Mzayek F, Hassig S, Sherwin R, Hughes J, Chen W, Srinivasan S, Berenson G. The Relationship of Birth Weight with the Developmental Trends of Blood Pressure from Childhood through Mid-adulthood. The Bogalusa Heart Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 2007;166:413–20
13. Mzayek F, Deng H, Mather FJ, Wasilevich EC, Liu H, et al. Randomized dose-ranging controlled trial of AQ-13, a candidate antimalarial, and chloroquine in healthy volunteers. PLoS Clinical Trials. 2007;2:e6
14. Cruickshank JK, Mzayek F, Liu L, Kieltyka L, Sherwin R, et al. Origins of the "Black/White" Differences in Blood Pressure; Roles of Birth Weight, Postnatal Growth, Early Blood Pressure, and Adolescent Body Size: The Bogalusa Heart Study. Hypertension 2005;111:1932-37