I am a chronic disease epidemiologist. I study connections of cardiovascular and metabolic health with neurological health in older adults. I completed my bachelors degree in neuroscience at BYU, my masters degree in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and my doctoral degree in epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health. Prior to joining the Public Health faculty at BYU, I worked as an epidemiologist/biostatistican at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health. I served a proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sapporo, Japan, from 1997-1999. I live in Orem, Utah, with my wife JaNeece and our two children.
Research Interests
The purpose of my research program at BYU is to involve undergraduate and graduate students in creating new knowledge through epidemiologic research that will benefit the health of older adults. Currently we focus primarily on projects exploring determinants of cognitive decline, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
We use data from epidemiologic cohort studies in the United States including the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS).
Undergraduate students who wish to work with us on epidemiologic research projects can best prepare by completing the following courses:
HLTH 345 -- Principles of Epidemiology
HLTH 440 -- Computer Applications in Epidemiology
HLTH 447 -- Introduction to Biostatistics
Teaching Interests
I teach undergraduate courses for students majoring in Public Health:
HLTH 314 -- Health, Disease, and Their Determinants, Part 1. The purpose of this course is for public health students in all emphasis areas to learn basic concepts about human health from a life course perspective, determinants of health including biological, behavioral, social, and environmental, major infectious diseases, and major chronic non-communicable diseases. In addition to studying a variety of topics as a class, students complete a series of research and writing assignments to go into more depth on selected topics that interest them.
HLTH 493 -- Epidemiology Capstone. The purpose of this course is for epidemiology emphasis student teams to conduct an epidemiologic research project using publicly available quantitative data. Students complete a research proposal, systematic literature review, detailed statistical analysis plan, quantitative data analysis, and structured research report. All student projects involve real data and are potentially publishable.
Education
PhD, Epidemiology , University of Washington School of Public Health (2011)
SM (MS), Epidemiology , Harvard School of Public Health (2005)
BS, Neuroscience , Brigham Young University (2003)
Memberships
American Heart Association, Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health (2014 - Present)
American Heart Association, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention (2007 - Present)
American Epilepsy Society (2019 - 2020)
Gerontological Society of America (2018 - 2019)
Society for Epidemiologic Research (2014 - 2015)
Courses Taught
Publications
C W TsaoA W AdayZ I AlmarzooqC AM AndersonP AroraC L AveryC M Baker-SmithA Z BeatonA K BoehmeA E BuxtonY Commodore-MensahM SV ElkindK R EvensonC Eze-NliamS FugarG GenerosoD G HeardS HiremathJ E HoR KalaniD S KaziD KoD A LevineJ LiuJ MaJ W MagnaniE D MichosM E MussolinoS D NavaneethanN I ParikhR PoudelM Rezk-HannaG A RothN S ShahM P St-OngeEvan L ThackerS S ViraniJ H VoeksN Y WangN D WongS S WongK YaffeS S MartinH ChoiM SV ElkindW T LongstrethA K BoehmeR HafenE J HoytEvan L ThackerC W TsaoA W AdayZ I AlmarzooqA AlonsoA Z BeatonM S BittencourtA K BoehmeA E BuxtonA P CarsonY Commodore-MensahM SV ElkindK R EvensonC Eze-NliamJ F FergusonG GenerosoJ E HoR KalaniS S KhanB M KisselaK L KnutsonD A LevineT T LewisJ LiuM S LoopJ MaM E MussolinoS D NavaneethanA M PerakR PoudelM Rezk-HannaG A RothE B SchroederS H ShahEvan L ThackerL B VanWagnerS S ViraniJ H VoecksN Y WangK YaffeS S MartinL B HarringtonA N EhlertEvan L ThackerN S JennyO LopezM CushmanA FitzpatrickK J MukamalM K JensenH ChoiEvan L ThackerW T LongstrethM SV ElkindA K BoehmeAfton J ReichKelsie D ClaunchMarco A VerdejaMatthew T DunganShellie AndersonColter K ClaytonMichael C GoatesEvan L ThackerShawn D GaleLance David EricksonEvan L ThackerElizabeth L. MitchellBruce Leonard BrownDawson Ward HedgesC K SuemotoL E GibbonsEvan L ThackerJ D JacksonC L SatizabalB M BettcherL LaunerC PhillipsL R WhiteM C PowerDawson Ward HedgesAndrew N BerrettLance David EricksonBruce Leonard BrownEvan L ThackerShawn D GaleMichael C HardingChantel D SloanRay M MerrillTiffany M HardingBrian J ThackerEvan L ThackerAndrew N. BerrettShawn D GaleLance David EricksonEvan L ThackerBruce Leonard BrownDawson Ward HedgesS R GillettL A McClureP W CallasEvan L ThackerF W UnverzagtV G WadleyA J LetterM CushmanH KamelT M BartzM SV ElkindP M OkinEvan L ThackerK K PattonP K SteinC deFilippiR F GottesmanS R HeckbertR A KronmalE Z SolimanW T Jr LongstrethC A HammondNatalie Jean BladesS I ChaudhryJ A DodsonW T LongstrethS R HeckbertB M PsatyA M ArnoldS DublinC M SitlaniJ M GardinS M ThielkeM G NannaR F GottesmanA B NewmanEvan L ThackerA N EhlertS R HeckbertK L WigginsEvan L ThackerP K GargW T O'NealA OgunsuaEvan L ThackerG HowardE Z SolimanM CushmanE KuzmaJ AirdrieT J LittlejohnsI LouridaJ Thompson-CoonI A LangM ScrobotoviciEvan L ThackerA FitzpatrickL H KullerO L LopezW T LongstrethO C UkoumunneD J LlewellynEvan L ThackerE Z SolimanL PulleyM M SaffordG HowardV J HowardSarah R GillettEvan L ThackerAbraham J LetterLeslie A McClureVirginia G WadleyFrederick W UnverzagtBrett M KisselaRichard KennedyStephen P GlasserDeborah A LevineMary CushmanEvan L ThackerPaul N. JensenBruce M. PsatyBarbara McKnightW. T. LongstrethSascha DublinKathryn M. NewtonNicholas L. SmithDavid S. SiscovickSusan R. HeckbertEvan L ThackerS. R. GillettV. G. WadleyF. W. UnverzagtS. E. JuddL. A. McClureV. J. HowardM. CushmanEvan L ThackerP. MuntnerH. ZhaoM. M. SaffordJ. R. CurtisE. DelzellV. BittnerT. M. BrownE. B. LevitanEvan L ThackerB McKnightB M PsatyW T Longstreth, JrC M SitlaniS DublinA M ArnoldA L FitzpatrickR F GottesmanS R HeckbertP N JensenEvan L ThackerS DublinB M PsatyS R HeckbertEvan L ThackerB McKnightB M PsatyW T Longstreth, JrS DublinP N JensenK M NewtonN L SmithD S SiscovickS R HeckbertEvan L ThackerB M PsatyB McKnightS R HeckbertW T Longstreth, JrK J MukamalJ B MeigsI H de BoerE J BoykoM R CarnethonJ R KizerR P TracyN L SmithD S SiscovickEvan L ThackerK L WigginsK M RiceW T Longstreth, JrJ C BisS DublinN L SmithS R HeckbertB M Psaty
Presentations
K ColeA BoehmeEvan L ThackerW LongstrethBruce Leonard BrownDawson Ward HedgesShawn D GaleJ KunzelmanM Elkind
Hyunmi ChoiMitchell SV ElkindW T LongstrethAmelia K BoehmeEvan L Thacker
Afton JensenKelsie ClaunchMarco VerdejaMatthew DunganShellie AndersonColter ClaytonMichael C GoatesEvan Thacker
Evan L ThackerAmelia K BoehmeMitchell SV ElkindW T LongstrethHyunmi Choi
K MaWhinneyM D TounkaraK EvansE StartupA EhlertE CoveyJ WestraNatalie Jean BladesM S DhamoonH M GonzalezF ImamuraE KuzmaD J LlewellynMaria Lelinneth Lagman Beloy NovillaM ScrobotoviciW T LongstrethEvan L Thacker
M C de Oliveira OttoJ HY WuEvan L ThackerH LaiR N LemaitreB McKnightN PadhyeX SongI B KingO LopezD SiscovickD Mozaffarian
M L HarrisE BennionK MaWhinneyV J HowardV G WadleyL A McClureD A LevineJ J ManlyM M GlymourJ J WiscoR A ChaneyEvan L Thacker
M D TounkaraK MaWhinneyK EvansE StartupA EhlertE CoveyJ WestraNatalie Jean BladesM S DhamoonH M GonzalezF ImamuraE KuzmaD J LlewellynMaria Lelinneth Lagman Beloy NovillaM ScrobotoviciW T LongstrethEvan L Thacker
M D TounkaraK MaWhinneyK EvansE StartupA EhlertE CoveyJ WestraNatalie Jean BladesM S DhamoonH M GonzalezF ImamuraE KuzmaD J LlewellynMaria Lelinneth Lagman Beloy NovillaM ScrobotoviciW T LongstrethEvan L Thacker
A JensenK D ClaunchM A VerdejaM T DunganMichael Calvin GoatesEvan L Thacker
C K SuemotoL E GibbonsEvan L ThackerJ D JacksonC L SatizabalB M BettcherJ MezL R WhiteM C Power
H KamelT M BartzM SV ElkindP M OkinEvan L ThackerK K PattonP K SteinC deFilippiR F GottesmanS R HeckbertR A KronmalE Z SolimanLongstreth W T
A JensenM DunganMichael Calvin GoatesEvan L Thacker
L ErnstsenX SuiV J HowardV G WadleyEvan L Thacker
Natalia NielsenVanessa PalmerRebecca BradshawEvan L ThackerJames D Johnston
A N EhlertS R HeckbertK L WigginsEvan L Thacker
Michael C HardingChantel D SloanRay M MerrillTiffany M HardingBrian J ThackerEvan L Thacker
Reena KarkiM CushmanS R GillettS E JuddR E KennedyJ R KizerD A LevineW M McClellanTamura M Kurella F W UnverzagtV G WadleyEvan L Thacker
Christa SchankNatalie Jean BladesSarwat I ChaudhryJohn A DodsonW. T LongstrethSusan R HeckbertBruce M PsatyAlice M ArnoldSascha DublinColleen M SitlaniJulius M GardinStephen M ThielkeMichael NannaRebecca F GottesmanAnne B NewmanEvan L Thacker