Jeanette M. Magnus
Cecile Usdin Professor in Women’s Health; acting chair; head, maternal & child health section

Department(s):
Community Health Sciences

Email:
jmagnus@tulane.edu

Research Interests:
Gender and Race Disparity, Women’s Health, Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular Disease, Breastfeeding, Health Education, Mentoring, and Leadership Development

Professional Achievements:
Cecile Usdin Professor in Women’s Health, Director, Tulane Xavier National Center of Excellence in Women's Health and the Mary Amelia Douglas-Whited Community Women's Health Education Center

2007-present Member, Council of Organization for Study on Sex Differences
2007-present Member, Program Committee Third International Conference for Study on Sex Differences, Toronto, Canada
2007 Member, site visit team, MCHB, SPH Maternal & Child Public Health Long-term Leadership Training Program, Department of MCH, University of Birmingham School of Public Health, AL
2005 Member, Primary Care Subcommittee for the Health & Social Services Committee of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission

Memberships: American Medical Association, American Society of Bone Mineral Research, American College of Rheumatology, American Public Health Association, Association of Teachers in Maternal & Child Health, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

Educational Background:
PhD, University of Tromsø, Norway
MD, School of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway

Course(s) Taught:
CHSC 614 Developing Leadership and Communication Skills
CHSC 641 Introduction to Obstetrics and Gynecology
CHSC 642 Health Care of Women
CHSC 651 Contemporary Issues in Maternal and Child Health
CHSC 751 Seminar in Maternal and Child Health

Publications:
Broussard DL, Magnus JH. Risk assessment and screening for low bone mineral density in a multi-ethnic population of women and men; does one approach fit all? Osteoporos Int 2004; 15:349-360.

Søgaard AJ, Joakimsen RM, Tverdal A, Fønnebø V, Magnus JH, Berntsen GKR. Long-term mental distress, low bone mineral density and non-vertebral fractures. The Tromsø Study. Osteoporos Int. 2005 Aug;16(8):887-97.

Afable-Munsuz A, Speizer I, Magnus JH, Kendall C. A Positive Orientation Toward Early Motherhood Is Associated with Unintended Pregnancy Among New Orleans Youth. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 2005 Dec 28; 1-12.

Søgaard AJ, Joakimsen RM, Tverdal A, Fønnebø V, Magnus JH, Berntsen GKR. Long-term mental distress, low bone mineral density and non-vertebral fractures. The Tromsø Study. Osteoporos Int. 2005 Aug;16(8):887-97.

Magnus JH & Brussard DL. Relationship between Bone Mineral Density and Myocardial Infarction in U.S. Adults. Osteoporosis International, 2005 Dec;16 (12):2053-62.

Afable-Munsuz A, Speizer I, Magnus JH, Kendall C. A positive orientation toward early motherhood is associated with unintended pregnancy among New Orleans youth. Matern Child Health J. 2006 May;10(3):265-76.

Doyle MK, Berggren R, Magnus JH. Interferon-induced sarcoidosis. J Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Oct;12(5):241-8.

Wightkin J, Magnus JH, Farley TA, Boris NW, Kotelchuck M. Psychosocial Predictors of Being an Underweight Infant Differ by Racial Group: A Prospective Study of Louisiana WIC Program Participants. Matern Child Health J. 2007;11:49-55.

Xiong X, Wightkin J, Magnus JH, Pridjian G, Acuna JM, Buekens P. Birth Weight and Infant Growth: Optimal Infant Weight Gain versus Optimal Infant Weight. Matern Child Health J. 2007;11:57-63

Huang HL, Hsu CC, Magnus JH, Chen FL, Rice J, Lee CH, Yen YY and Chen T. Perceived Smoking Prevalence at School-level and Children’s Smoking Initiation: A Multi-level Analysis of a Cross-sectional Data in Taiwan. Health Policy 2008;86(2-3):213-21.

Chin AC, Tran T, Magnus JH. Pregnancy Intention and Breastfeeding Initiation Among Women Louisiana, 2004. Louisiana Morbidity Report, 2007; 18(2):3-5

Chin AC, Meyer LM, Magnus JH. Race, Education and Breastfeeding in Louisiana, 2000-2004. Human Lactation 2007 J Hum Lact. 2008;24(2):175-85.

Broussard DL, Magnus JH. Coronary Heart Disease Risk and Bone Mineral Density among U.S. Women and Men. J Womens Health 2008;17(3):479-90.

Broussard DL, Magnus JH. Influence of cardiovascular disease risk factors on the relationship between low bone mineral density and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a multiethnic US population of women and men: a cross-sectional study. Gender Medicine 2008; 5(3):229-239

Magnus JH, Broussard DL. Can Self-Rated Health Identify U.S. Women and Men with Low Bone Mineral Density? Gender Medicine 2008; 5(3):246-259


APHA Abstracts Washington DC, 2007:

Wadhwani C, Ndep Ola A, Tarver M, Magnus JH. Gaining access into a Vietnamese American community in New Orleans: A lesson in cultural competency.

Ndep Ola A, Wadhwani C, Tarver M, Magnus JH. Perceived stress of New Orleans Vietnamese American women affected by Hurricane Katrina: A case study.

Tarver, M & Magnus JH. What can Louisiana do to improve breastfeeding duration rates?

Hixon J & Magnus JH. APHA as a teaching tool for maternal and child health students.

Herbst SM, Ndep Ola A, Valliere J, Zeanah P, Magnus JH. Lay Health Educators: An Opportunity for Community Education Post-Disaster.

Herbst SM, Ndep Ola A, Valliere J, Zeanah P, Magnus JH. Lay Health Advisors: A Self-Help Model for Improving Mental Health Post-Disaster.

Coffman R, Ndep Ola A, Tarver M, Rome G, Magnus JH. “Worth a Thousand Words” - Stress reduction in post-Katrina New Orleans among women through a combined PhotoVoice and Freirian Praxis methodology approach.

Tarver M & Magnus JH. In the face of a disaster or emergency, would Louisiana women breastfeed

Ndep Ola A, Tarver M, Rome G, Magnus JH. Assessing New Orleans women's physical and psychosocial response to the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina: A qualitative case study.

Personal Statement:
I graduated Medical School at the northernmost university of the world, University of Tromsø, located on 70° north in Norway. I worked in community clinics, public health, internal medicine, and rheumatology. I utterly enjoyed the challenge of being a physician trained to see the patient as a person in the center of her community. Having three small children I went back to school and earned my PhD. Research really hit me hard, and I have been actively involved in clinical, epidemiological or community based research ever since. I am a dedicated teacher and have a keen interest in students. I have taught courses and classes on undergraduate, graduate and post graduate level in nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicine, pharmacy and public health. I have been involved in curriculum planning, teaching and mentoring students and health professionals at all levels since 1986, on topics ranging from clinical biochemistry to preventive medicine and community health. I am proud of the doctoral students that have become my colleagues and friends.
During the last years, I have been increasingly engaged in women’s health. I am currently head of the Maternal and Child Health Section and Program Director for the MCHB funded Maternal and Child Public Health Leadership training grant. I am also the Director of the Mary Amelia Douglas Whited Community Women’s Health Center and PI for the NIH funded Tulane Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health Program.

I enjoy working at Tulane because it is challenging. This is a place where I am able to use my skills, creativity, and imagination. My goal for the students that come here is that they acquire knowledge, discover their strong and weak sides and allow the Tulane Community of faculty and fellow students to assist them in breaking new grounds.

Contact Information:
Community Health Sciences
1440 Canal Street, Suite 2300
New Orleans, LA 70112
Telephone: 504.988.2181
Fax: 504.988.3540
jmagnus@tulane.edu

Level of Instruction:
graduate and post graduate

Personal Website:
www.tuxcoe.tulane.edu
www.womenshealth.tulane.edu
www.sph.tulane.edu/mch