Kathy Baumgartner

Biography

Dr. Kathy B. Baumgartner (MA, MS, PhD) is a cancer epidemiologist with extensive experience designing and conducting large population-based studies. In September 1996, after working for several years directing epidemiologic studies at the University of New Mexico, she submitted and was awarded a Predoctoral Fellowship through the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Breast Cancer Research Program.  She received her PhD in May 1999 in Epidemiology through the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas and returned to the University of New Mexico, Division of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine.  In 2005, she accepted a position at the School of Public Health & Information Sciences (SPHIS), University of Louisville to help build the academic and research programs of the school.  In December 2009, she was appointed as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and as Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs in June 2017.  She was instrumental in the reaccreditation of SPHIS in 2021.  In March 2025 she was appointed as Interim Dean of SPHIS.

Research Interests

Dr. Kathy Baumgartner is a Professor of Epidemiology and has over 30 years of experience conducting large population-based epidemiologic studies funded through NIH with a primary emphasis on breast cancer including risk, prognosis, mortality and quality of life. These studies (case-control and cohort), include Director of the New Mexico Women’s Health Study (NMWHS, 1991-96), Co-PI of the New Mexico site for the Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) Study (1996-2011), PI of the New Mexico component of the 4-Corners Women's Health Study (4-WHS, 1999-2006), and PI of Ethnicity, Breast Cancer Recurrence, & Long-Term Quality of Life Study (LTQOL, 2005-11).  Additionally, she has been involved in several studies, which examined the role of biomarkers in relation to breast cancer risk and mortality. 

She served as the Co-PI of a Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Disparities Epidemiology Research Training Program, which covered the training of doctoral students in epidemiology and statistical analysis. She has substantial experience providing education and mentoring in epidemiology at pre- and post-doctoral levels. 

The majority of her research experience has been in breast cancer, but she has conducted studies of cervical cancer and pulmonary disease as well, which has resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations and abstracts.  She has been involved in the assessment of active and secondhand smoke exposure with pulmonary disease and cancer and was the lead contributor on the 2014 breast cancer section of the Surgeon General’s Report on the association of cigarette smoke exposure with breast cancer (Chapter 6: Cancer --Breast Cancer. In:The Health Consequences of Smoking — Fifty Years of Progress.  A Report of the Surgeon General, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK294309/#ch6.s47), which was focused on a systematic literature review, meta-analyses and sensitivity assessments on breast cancer risk and prognosis.

She is in a unique position to collaborate and contribute her population-based science experience associated with observational studies. She has experience and expertise in study design, sampling strategy, epidemiologic methods, statistical analyses, scientific direction regarding ascertainment, recruitment and retention strategies, questionnaire design and the development of study materials, protocol development, interviewer training, quality control, IRB procedures, communication with participants and community members/leaders, recruitment and retention, analyses, writing of manuscripts and fiscal management.  Overall, she has substantial experience providing education and mentoring in epidemiology at pre- and post-doctoral levels.

She is interested in the differential distribution of cancer in Kentucky.

Degrees and Certifications

Publications

All Scholarly and Creative Works