Rebecca Jackson, MD 

OSU Medical Center has a prominent champion for women’s health in Rebecca Jackson, MD, associate professor of Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine.

Jackson is a major figure in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a landmark study funded by the National Institutes of Health to evaluate risks and benefits of interventions designed to improve women’s health after menopause. An expert in the development and treatment of osteoporosis, Jackson is vice chair of the WHI steering committee and holds WHI leadership positions for coordinating research on the use of calcium and vitamin D in bone health. She will chair the writing group for the principal results of the WHI Calcium and Vitamin D Trial.

Along with Randall Harris, MD, PhD, Jackson has examined the cancer-protective ability of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). One recent project in the WHI Observational Study found that regular use of NSAIDs for five to nine years produced a 21-percent reduction in breast cancer incidence; a 28-percent reduction was observed with NSAID use of 10 years or more.

Jackson was a primary author of the seminal publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association that reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer among women taking part in a national clinical trial evaluating the effects of HRT (estrogen plus progestin) on breast and colon cancer. She also co-authored manuscripts on WHI studies that indicated no benefit on fracture rates among women taking statins, and no benefit from HRT use for dementia.

In addition, Jackson holds several grants that support her research in women’s health. She was among the first to explain how resistance training can help prevent osteoporosis, and she was involved in a major study examining how a new class of medications called bisphosphonates can play a role in managing postmenopausal osteoporosis. She has also examined how exercise can stimulate bone formation.

Jackson is principal investigator for OSU’s participation in the national Osteoarthritis Initiative, a seven-year study designed to improve prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis, the most common cause of disability among adults. OSU Medical Center is receiving $9.1 million for its portion of the initiative, launched in 2004 by a partnership between the NIH and pharmaceutical companies.

In 2004, the American Medical Women’s Association named Jackson a “Local Legend” for outstanding commitment, originality or innovation in practicing medicine.

Dr. Jackson’s WHI co-investigators include: Michael Blumenfeld, MD; Randall Harris, MD, PhD; Walter Hull, MD; W. Jerry Mysiw, MD; and Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH. Her co-investigators for OAI include: Kevin Hackshaw, MD; W. Jerry Mysiw, MD; Ronald Whisler, MD; and Joseph Yu, MD.