Jennifer St. Sauver, Ph.D.

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SUMMARY

Jennifer St. Sauver, Ph.D., studies the factors that influence the health and health outcomes of large populations. Her research focuses specifically on describing disease trends over time and identifying populations at high risk of poor health outcomes.

Dr. St. Sauver is a co-principal investigator of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a National Institutes of Health-funded research infrastructure that collates and indexes health care information from medical care available to residents of a 27-county region of southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. These data have been used by investigators throughout the United States, resulting in nearly 3,000 publications on a wide range of health care topics.

Focus areas

• Epidemiologic methodology. Dr. St. Sauver works closely as a mentor and co-investigator with a wide range of researchers to ensure that studies are designed, analyzed and interpreted appropriately.
• Multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). Using the medical records linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, Dr. St. Sauver has studied the prevalence and incidence of MCCs among people with varied demographic characteristics. The results of her studies have improved the understanding of how MCCs develop at a population level.
• Vaccinations. Dr. St. Sauver has led and participated in multiple studies focused on childhood vaccines. She has collaborated with other investigators to understand the interactions between the host immune environment and bacterial or vaccine immunogenicity.

Significance to patient care

Dr. St. Sauver's research provides a comprehensive picture of the current health of the local community. These data are used as baseline measures for future population-level interventions. Additionally, this type of research is needed for focused efforts to improve clinical care among the primary users of health care.

Professional highlights

• Board member, fellow and member of the Awards Committee, American College of Epidemiology, 2013-present
• Co-chair, Population Health Sciences Special Interest Group, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2013-2016