SUMMARY
Cynthia S. Crowson, Ph.D., is a lead statistician in the Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, with a joint appointment in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic. Her research is focused on the epidemiology of rheumatic diseases with special interests in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. As a statistician collaborating with rheumatologists for more than 35 years, Dr. Crowson has research interests that reflect both medical and statistical areas.
Focus areas
- Statistical research methods. Dr. Crowson's statistical interests focus on methods used in population-based research, such as estimating lifetime risk, accelerated aging and attributable risk in longitudinal cohort studies. She has a special interest in survival analysis methods, including competing risks, multistate models, and development and assessment of risk prediction models.
- Rheumatic diseases. Through collaboration with national and international researchers, Dr. Crowson seeks to improve the health outcomes of people with rheumatic diseases. She leads and contributes to research involving the epidemiology and outcomes of people with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, psoriatic arthritis, myositis, Sjogren syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis and other rheumatic diseases.
Comorbidity. Dr. Crowson and her colleagues study patterns of comorbid conditions in people with rheumatic disease. Dr. Crowson studies longitudinal trajectories of comorbidity, which may provide useful insights into the pathogenesis of multimorbidity. This research may improve quality of care — such as preventive screening and treatments — and aid in developing guidelines for clinical management of people with rheumatic diseases and multiple comorbidities.
Dr. Crowson's research findings also may spur the development of strategies to prevent or delay the onset of multimorbidity, such as the prevention of serious infections. Such strategies might slow the progression of multimorbidity and age-related declines in physical functioning, ultimately extending the life spans of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
- Healthcare disparities. Dr. Crowson's research includes examination of healthcare disparities related to sex, race, ethnicity, rurality and social determinants of health. This research provides real-world evidence regarding the magnitude and impact of healthcare disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Evaluating long-term outcomes and identifying patient subgroups with the worst outcomes are key steps toward developing interventions to bridge these gaps in healthcare delivery.
- Artificial intelligence. Dr. Crowson's multidisciplinary team is developing artificial intelligence algorithms to facilitate early recognition of rheumatic diseases. Deep learning models are being used to identify radiographic changes over time in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Additional artificial intelligence efforts to improve diagnosis and outcomes in rheumatic diseases also are underway.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Crowson leads a multidisciplinary research team that aims to improve the health and long-term outcomes of people with rheumatic diseases. Recent advances in available treatments, including biological response modifiers, have improved outcomes in some rheumatic diseases. However, the disease burden is still high for individuals with these conditions.
Dr. Crowson's hope is that through her research, better tools will be developed to help predict who is at risk of comorbid conditions. She aims to help healthcare professionals target the right people with strategies to prevent or delay development of comorbidities and thereby improve quality of life and long-term outcomes.
Dr. Crowson's artificial intelligence algorithm to identify rheumatoid arthritis will improve clinical practice in four meaningful ways. It reduces underdiagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in rural primary care settings, facilitates timely initiation of antirheumatic therapies to reduce joint damage, improves long-term outcomes and optimizes referrals to rheumatology specialty care to reduce the impact of the rheumatology workforce shortage.
Professional highlights
- Associate editor, The Journal of Rheumatology, 2019-present.
- Distinguished educator, Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, 2016.