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Maria E. Suarez-Almazor, MD, PhD

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Professor, Department of General Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Barnts Family Distinguished Professorship, Department of General Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Deputy Department Chair (Research), Department of General Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Section Chief, Section of Rheumatology, Department of General Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Office Address

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd
Unit Number: 1465
Houston, TX 77030
Room Number: FCT13.5000
Phone: (713) 745-4516
Fax: (713) 563-4491

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1993 University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada, PHD, Medical Sciences, Epidemiology
1989 University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada, MS, Medicine
1979 Universidad Nacional de Beunos Aires, Beunos Aires, Argentina, MD, Medicine

Postgraduate Training

1/1990-12/1992 Postdoctoral Fellow, Rheumatology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
1/1989-6/1993 Graduate Student, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
1/1987-6/1989 Graduate Student, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
3/1985-2/1989 Research Fellowship, Rheumatology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
3/1984-3/1985 Senior Clinical Fellowship, Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2/1981-3/1984 Clinical Fellowship, Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion, Beunos Aires, Argentina
3/1980-2/1981 Clinical Residency, Hospital Privado Guemes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
4/1979-3/1980 Research Internship, Centro de Estudios Medicos e Investigaciones Clinicas (CEMIC), Beunos Aires, Argentina

Board Certifications

1982 Ministerio de Salud y Sociedad Argentina de Reumatologia

Experience/Service

Other Appointments/Responsibilities

Director, Houston Center for Education & Research on Therapeutics (CERT), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Houston, 2006-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Garcia-Gonzalez A, Gonzalez-Lopez L, Gamez-Nava JI, Rodríguez-Arreola BE, Cox V, Suarez-Almazor ME. Doctor-patient interactions in Mexican patients with rheumatic disease. J Clin Rheumatol 15(3):120-3, 4/2009. PMID: 19300289.
2. Street RL, Richardson MN, Cox V, Suarez-Almazor ME. (Mis)understanding in patient-health care provider communication about total knee replacement. Arthritis Rheum 61(1):100-107, 12/30/2008. e-Pub 12/30/2008. PMID: 19116969.
3. Roundtree AK, Kallen MA, Lopez-Olivo MA, Kimmel B, Skidmore B, Ortiz Z, Cox V, Suarez-Almazor ME. Poor reporting of search strategy and conflict of interest in over 250 narrative and systematic reviews of two biologic agents in arthritis: A systematic review. J Clin Epidemiol. e-Pub 11/13/2008. PMID: 19013763.
4. Tugwell P, Maxwell L, Welch V, Kristjansson E, Petticrew M, Wells G, Buchbinder R, Suarez-Almazor ME, Nowlan MA, Ueffing E, Khan M, Shea B, Tsikata S. Is health equity considered in systematic reviews of the cochrane musculoskeletal group? Arthritis Rheum 59(11):1603-1610, 10/30/2008. PMID: 18975366.
5. Lopez-Olivo MA, Kallen MA, Ortiz Z, Skidmore B, Suarez-Almazor ME. Quality appraisal of clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements on the use of biologic agents in rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review. Arthritis Rheum 59(11):1625-1638, 10/30/2008. PMID: 18975351.
6. Garcia-Gonzalez A, Richardson M, Garcia Popa-Lisseanu M, Cox V, Kallen MA, Janssen N, Ng B, Marcus DM, Reveille JD, Suarez-Almazor ME. Treatment adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol 27(7):883-9, 7/2008. PMID: 18185905.
7. Saag KG, Teng GG, Patkar NM, Anuntiyo J, Finney C, Curtis JR, Paulus HE, Mudano A, Pisu M, Elkins-Melton M, Outman R, Allison JJ, Almazor MS, Bridges SL, Chatham WW, Hochberg M, MacLean C, Mikuls T, Moreland LW, O'Dell J, Turkiewicz AM, Furst DE, Furst DE. American College of Rheumatology 2008 recommendations for the use of nonbiologic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 59(6):762-84, 6/15/2008. PMID: 18512708.
8. Gossec L, Jordan JM, Mazzuca SA, Lam MA, Suarez-Almazor ME, Renner JB, Lopez-Olivo MA, Hawker G, Dougados M, Maillefert JF, Maillefert JF. Comparative evaluation of three semi-quantitative radiographic grading techniques for knee osteoarthritis in terms of validity and reproducibility in 1759 X-rays: report of the OARSI-OMERACT task force Extended report. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 4/14/2008. PMID: 18417373.
9. Hawker GA, Davis AM, French MR, Cibere J, Jordan JM, March L, Suarez-Almazor M, Katz JN, Dieppe P. Development and preliminary psychometric testing of a new OA pain measure--an OARSI/OMERACT initiative. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 16(4):409-14, 4/2008. PMID: 18381179.
10. Hawker GA, Stewart L, French MR, Cibere J, Jordan JM, March L, Suarez-Almazor M, Gooberman-Hill R. Understanding the pain experience in hip and knee osteoarthritis--an OARSI/OMERACT initiative. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 16(4):415-22, 4/2008. e-Pub 3/4/2008. PMID: 18296075.
11. Suarez-Almazor ME, Berrios-Rivera JP, Cox V, Janssen NM, Marcus DM, Sessoms S. Initiation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy in minority and disadvantaged patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 34(12):2400-7, Nov-Dec, 12/2007. PMID: 17985405.
12. Lopez-Olivo MA, Suarez-Almazor ME. Developing guidelines in musculoskeletal disorders. Clin Exp Rheumatol 25(6 Suppl 47):28-36, Nov-Dec, 11/2007. PMID: 18021504.
13. Suarez-Almazor ME, Kallen MA, Roundtree AK, Mayes M. Disease and symptom burden in systemic sclerosis: a patient perspective. J Rheumatol 34(8):1718-26, 8/2007. PMID: 17611983.
14. Collins TC, Beyth RJ, Nelson DB, Petersen NJ, Suarez-Almazor ME, Bush RL, Hirsch AT, Ashton CM. Process of care and outcomes in patients with peripheral arterial disease. J Gen Intern Med 22(7):942-8, 7/2007. PMID: 17453264.
15. Giordano TP, Gifford AL, White AC, Suarez-Almazor ME, Rabeneck L, Hartman C, Backus LI, Mole LA, Morgan RO. Retention in care: a challenge to survival with HIV infection. Clin Infect Dis 44(11):1493-9, 6/1/2007. PMID: 17479948.
16. Gossec L, Hawker G, Davis AM, Maillefert JF, Lohmander LS, Altman R, Cibere J, Conaghan PG, Hochberg MC, Jordan JM, Katz JN, March L, Mahomed N, Pavelka K, Roos EM, Suarez-Almazor ME, Zanoli G, Dougados M. OMERACT/OARSI initiative to define states of severity and indication for joint replacement in hip and knee osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol 34(6):1432-5, 6/2007. PMID: 17552070.
17. Kane RL, Wilt T, Suarez-Almazor ME, Fu SS. Disparities in total knee replacements: a review. Arthritis Rheum 57(4):562-7, 5/15/2007. PMID: 17471555.
18. Kelly PA, Kallen MA, Suárez-Almazor ME. A combined-method psychometric analysis recommended modification of the multidimensional health locus of control scales. J Clin Epidemiol 60(5):440-7, 5/2007. PMID: 17419954.
19. Kroll TL, Richardson M, Sharf BF, Suarez-Almazor ME. "Keep on truckin'" or "It's got you in this little vacuum": race-based perceptions in decision-making for total knee arthroplasty. J Rheumatol 34(5):1069-75, 5/2007. PMID: 17407213.
20. Kirwan JR, Minnock P, Adebajo A, Bresnihan B, Choy E, de Wit M, Hazes M, Richards P, Saag K, Suarez-Almazor M, Wells G, Hewlett S. Patient perspective: fatigue as a recommended patient centered outcome measure in rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 34(5):1174-7, 5/2007. PMID: 17477482.
21. Chiou CF, Suarez-Almazor ME, Sherbourne CD, Chang CH, Reyes C, Dylan M, Ofman J, Wallace DJ, Mizutani W, Weisman M. Development and validation of a preference weight multiattribute health outcome measure for rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 33(12):2409-11, Mar-Apr, 12/2006. PMID: 17080516.
22. Byrne MM, Souchek J, Richardson M, Suarez-Almazor M. Racial/ethnic differences in preferences for total knee replacement surgery. J Clin Epidemiol 59(10):1078-86, Mar-Apr, 10/2006. PMID: 16980148.
23. Berrios-Rivera JP, Street RL, Garcia Popa-Lisseanu MG, Kallen MA, Richardson MN, Janssen NM, Marcus DM, Reveille JD, Warner NB, Suarez-Almazor ME. Trust in physicians and elements of the medical interaction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 55(3):385-93, Mar-Apr, 6/15/2006. PMID: 16739207.
24. Giordano TP, Morgan RO, Kramer JR, Hartman C, Richardson P, White CA, Suarez-Almazor ME, El-Serag HB. Is there a race-based disparity in the survival of veterans with HIV? J Gen Intern Med 21(6):613-7, Mar-Apr, 6/2006. PMID: 16808745.
25. Collins TC, Suarez-Almazor M, Bush RL, Petersen NJ. Gender and peripheral arterial disease. J Am Board Fam Med 19(2):132-40, Mar-Apr, 3/2006. PMID: 16513901.
26. Collins TC, Suarez-Almazor M, Peterson NJ. An absent pulse is not sensitive for the early detection of peripheral arterial disease. Fam Med 38(1):38-42, 1/2006. PMID: 16378257.
27. Suarez-Almazor ME. Is treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields effective in patients with knee osteoarthritis? Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 2(1):14-5, 1/2006. PMID: 16932645.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: Utility of Medications for Patients with Cancer in Hospice Care
Funding Source: American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging and the John A. Hartford Foundation
Role: Primary Mentor
Principal Investigator: Holly M. Holmes, MD
Duration: 3/2008 - 4/2010
 
Title: Enhancing Knowledge on Cardiac Implantable Pulse Generators
Funding Source: The Mike Hogg Fun
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 1/2008 - 6/2009
 
Title: Surviving Cancer: Healthcare and Information Needs
Funding Source: Texas Medical Center Fleming & Davenport Award
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2007 - present
 
Title: Outcomes Research In Rheumatic Diseases: A Mentoring Program
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2006 - present
 
Title: Patient Awareness and Consumer Education Research Center (PACE), Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERT)
Funding Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Role: Principal Investigator and Director
Duration: 2006 - present
 
Title: Cognitive Behavioral Determinants for Knee Replacement Minority Supplement
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2006 - present
 
Title: Cognitive Behavioral Determinants for Knee Replacement
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2003 - present
 
Title: Immunology Physician Scientist Training Grant
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Faculty Mentor
Principal Investigator: D. Huston
Duration: 2003 - present
 
Title: Treatment Adherence in Minorities with Rheumatic Disease
Funding Source: NIH
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2000 - present

Last updated: 9/22/2009