Katherine A. Bowers, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

katherine.bowers@cchmc.org

About

Biography

My interest in research came from a long-standing desire to understand the etiology of autism spectrum disorders. After joining Cincinnati Children’s in 2012, I began to study child development more broadly. My research is primarily in perinatal epidemiology, and my specific areas of interest include exposures and conditions during pregnancy and their implications for offspring health.

Two of my primary projects focus on psychosocial factors and diabetes experienced in pregnancy. The first one is about how adversity experienced by individuals in poverty affects child development and how DNA methylation may underlie this effect. The second project follows the offspring of women who had diabetes in pregnancy. I am interested in the long-term effects of metabolic and neurobehavioral impairments.

Research Areas

Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Publications

Epigenome-wide association of neonatal methylation and trimester-specific prenatal PM2.5 exposure. Parikh, MN; Brokamp, C; Rasnick, E; Ding, L; Mersha, TB; Bowers, K; Folger, AT. Environmental Epidemiology. 2022; 6.

Association Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Neonatal SCG5 DNA Methylation-Effect Modification by Prenatal Home Visiting. Folger, AT; Nidey, N; Ding, L; Ji, H; Yolton, K; Ammerman, RT; Bowers, KA. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2022; 191:636-645.

Caregivers of individuals with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome: Perspectives, experiences, and relationships with medical professionals. Webster, J; Wiley, S; Schorry, E; Bowers, K; Collins Ruff, K; Riddle, I. Journal of Genetic Counseling. 2022; 31:153-163.

Substance Use and Utilization of Prenatal and Postpartum Care. Nidey, N; Kair, LR; Wilder, C; Froehlich, TE; Weber, S; Folger, A; Marcotte, M; Tabb, K; Bowers, K. Journal of Addiction Medicine. 2022; 16:84-92.

Pregnancy and Infant Development (PRIDE)-a preliminary observational study of maternal adversity and infant development. Bowers, K; Ding, L; Yolton, K; Ji, H; Nidey, N; Meyer, J; Ammerman, RT; Van Ginkel, J; Folger, A. BMC Pediatrics. 2021; 21.

Elevated Anthropometric and Metabolic Indicators among Young Adult Offspring of Mothers with Pregestational Diabetes: Early Results from the Transgenerational Effect on Adult Morbidity Study (the TEAM Study). Bowers, K; Ehrlich, S; Dolan, LM; Gupta, R; Altaye, M; Ollberding, NJ; Szczesniak, R; Catalano, P; Smith, E; Khoury, JC. Journal of Diabetes Research. 2021; 2021.

Opioid Requirement following Arthroscopic Knee Surgery: Are There Predictive Factors Associated with Long-Term Use. Glogovac, G; Kennedy, M; Parman, MD; Bowers, KA; Colosimo, AJ; Grawe, BM. Journal of Knee Surgery. 2021; 34:810-815.

Effectiveness of Interdisciplinary Leadership Training for Early Career Professionals in the Field of Developmental Disabilities. Weber, S; Williams-Arya, P; Bowers, K; Wamsley, F; Doarn, CR; Smith, J. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2021; 25:1036-1042.

Long-Term Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes After Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Report. Stefanski, KJ; Anixt, JS; Goodman, P; Bowers, K; Leisenring, W; Scott Baker, K; Burns, K; Howell, R; Davies, S; Robison, LL; et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2021; 113:481-495.

Functional data analysis and prediction tools for continuous glucose-monitoring studies. Gecili, E; Huang, R; Khoury, JC; King, E; Altaye, M; Bowers, K; Szczesniak, RD. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2021; 5.

From the Blog

Health Inequities

DNA Methylation May Serve as Biomarker for Maternal Stress Passed to Children

Katherine A. Bowers, PhD, MPH, Alonzo T. Folger, PhD, MS3/21/2022