Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology
Email: elizabeth_drugge@nymc.edu
Phone: (914) 594-2825
Address:
Department of Public Health
School of Health Sciences and Practice
New York Medical College
Valhalla, NY 10595
Education Profile:
Graduate Degrees: M.S., M.Phil., Ph.D.; M.P.H.
Graduate Degree Institutions: Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY; New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Undergraduate Degree: BA
Graduate Degree Institution: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Biography: Dr. Drugge joined the faculty in the Epidemiology Division of the Department of Public Health in 2018 and is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology and American Heart Association. Dr. Drugge received a doctoral degree in Pharmacology from Columbia, P & S, where she studied the role of sympathetic innervation on the alpha-adrenergic chronotropic response of cultured cardiac myocytes. The results of this project identified a functional pertussis toxin substrate by which the alpha 1-adrenergic response becomes linked to a decrease in automaticity present only in myocytes co-cultured with sympathetic neurons. During her post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at NYMC, she defined in vitro conditions for medullary cells isolated from the medullary thick ascending limb of the Loop of Henle (mTALH) and corneal cells as a part of a larger project on the role of arachidonic acid metabolism.
While working on clinical research projects in dermatology focused adipocyte culture and skin cancer detection, Dr. Drugge received an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from NYMC. During this time, she held adjunct appointments in the NYMC Departments of Epidemiology and Physical Therapy in the School of Health Sciences and Practice and the Department of Pharmacology, in the School of Basic Medical Sciences.
Dr. Drugge’s teaching experience includes core courses and a seminar in Chronic Disease Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology, Pharmacoepidemiology in the Department of Pharmacology, as well as Biostatistics in the Physical Therapy Department where she assists students in designing and analyzing their doctoral projects.
Dr. Drugge has a number of ongoing research projects related to using automated time-lapse total body photography to screen for skin cancer. Most of this work focuses on assessing potential associations between risk factors and outcomes resulting from innovative technologies and systems of care, with the goal of eliminating access barriers and addressing disease disparities.
Dr. Drugge is also providing support to a recently funded R21 grant exploring regulators of adaptive mechanisms that control sodium and chloride reabsorption in the mTALH of the kidney using samples from the DASH-2 study with the goal of defining mechanisms for salt sensitive hypertension that may be related to gender and race.
Research: In terms of research, Dr. Drugge has over 15 peer-reviewed, scientific articles in academic journals such as Circulation Research,Science, American Journal of Physiology, Journal of Pharmacological and Experimental Therapeutics, and Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and has presented her research at national meetings, including American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), American Heart Association Scientific Session (AHA), and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Her early work in cardiac electrophysiology focused on the mechanism by which sympathetic innervation regulates the chronotropic response of cultured cardiac myocytes. Her post-doctoral fellowship, under the direction of John C. McGiff, MD, explored regulatory mechanisms related to arachidonic acid in cultured renal and corneal cells with unique transport properties.
Dr. Elizabeth Drugge received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons following a B.A. in Science, Technology and Society from Cornell University. She also received an M.P.H in Epidemiology from New York Medical College (NYMC) School of Health Sciences and Practice, and a post-doctoral fellowship in Pharmacology at NYMC. Subsequently, she transitioned to independent research in dermatology where she worked on the development, implementation, and assessment of a novel system for automated skin cancer detection. During this time, she mentored medical students on research projects, including a DeBakey scholar, and contributed to clinical research and public health endeavors related to skin cancer screening. In addition, she held adjunct appointments in the NYMC Departments of Epidemiology and Physical Therapy, in the School of Health Sciences and Practice, and the Department of Pharmacology, in the School of Basic Medical Sciences, before joining the Epidemiology Division of the Department of Public Health.
Dr. Drugge’s current research interests include identifying blood pressure regulatory mechanisms that contribute to salt-sensitive hypertension related to gender and race using data from the DASH-Sodium Clinical Trial. She also continues to work on several research projects related to skin cancer detection using innovative technologies and systems of care to identify associations between risk factors and outcomes. The goal of these studies is to eliminate access barriers, address disease disparities, and deliver telehealth services.
As a member of the American Heart Association, American Academy of Dermatology, and American Public Health Association, Dr. Drugge continues to explore and contribute to the advancement of evidence-based research. She is most rewarded by her work with students of all disciplines, supporting them to develop the skills and confidence to impact the world of healthcare that lies ahead.
Selected Bibliography:
Drugge ED, Volpicelli ER, Sarac R, Strang SR, Eltson D and Drugge RJ. Micromelanomas identified with time-lapse total body photography and dermatoscopy. JAAD (2018) 78(1):182-3.
Drugge, RJ and Drugge, ED. “Temporal image comparison (serial imaging) in assessing pigmented lesions” in Dermatologic Clinics in Technology in the Diagnosis and Management of Skin
Cancer, eds Darrell S. Rigel and Aaron S. Farberg (2017) 35(4):447-52.
Rosendahl CO, Drugge ED, Volpicelli ER and Drugge RJ. Diagnosis of a minute melanoma using multi-camera-array total body photography. Australasian J. of Dermatol (2016) 57(3):242-3
Drugge RJ, Nguyen C, Gliga L and Drugge ED. Clinical pathway for melanoma detection using comprehensive cutaneous analysis with Melanoscan. Dermatology Online Journal (2010) 16(8):1.
Drugge RJ, Nguyen C, Drugge ED, Gliga L, Broderick PA, McClain SA and Brown CC. Melanoma screening with serial whole body photographic change detection using melanoscan technology. Dermatology Online Journal (2009) 15(6):1.
Drugge ED, Quilley CP and McGiff JC. Enhanced integrity and uniformity of isolated rat glomeruli yields increased sensitivity to rennin regulation: modulation by cytochrome P-450 inhibitors, (1994).
Bell-Quilley CP, Lin YS, Hilchey SD, Drugge ED and McGiff JC. Renovascular actions of angiotensin II in the isolated kidney of the rat: relationship to lipoxygenases. J Pharmaco. Ex. Ther (1993) 267(2):676-82.
Carroll MA, Drugge ED, Dunn CE and McGiff JC. Isolation of rabbit renomedullary cells and arachidonate metabolism. Methods Enzymol (1990) 187: 365-72.
Drugge ED, Carroll MA and McGiff JC. Cells in culture from rabbit medullary thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop. Am J Physiol (1989) 5(1):C51070-81.
Drugge ED and Robinson RB. Trophic influence of sympathetic neurons on the cardiac alpha-adrenergic response requires close nerve-muscle association. Dev Pharmacol Ther (1987) 19:47-59.
Steinberg SF, Drugge ED, Bilezikian JP and Robinson RB. Innervated cardiac myocytes acquire a pertussis-toxin-specific regulatory protein functionally linked to the alpha1 receptor. Science (1985) 230:186-188.
Drugge ED, Rosen MR and Robinson RB. Neural regulation of the effects of alpha adrenergic agonists On automaticity. Circ Res (1986) 57(3):415-423.
Wang HH, Drugge ED, Yen Y, Blumenthal MR and Pang PK. Effects of synthetic parathyroid hormone on hemodynamics and regional blood Flows. Eur J Pharm (1984) 97:209.
Recent Peer Reviewed Scientific and Professional Presentations:
Sara R and Drugge ED. Invasive melanoma depth increases with decreasing total body photography (oral presentation), AAD 2019 Meeting, March, Washington DC.
Drugge ED, Okundaye OI, Sarac RM and Drugge RJ. Melanoma Screening Using Time-Lapse Total Body Photography and Dermatoscopy. Stamford Regional Hospital Research Day. March, 2017
Sarac R and Drugge ED. Time-lapse total body photography and dermoscopy improves melanoma outcomes in a private practice setting. (oral presentation) AAD 2017 Meeting, March, 2017, Orlando, Fl.
Drugge ED, Sarac RM, Aziz A, McKoy A and Drugge RJ. Accuracy of melanoma detection using
time-lapse total body photography and dermoscopy in a private practice setting.
Stamford Regional Hospital Research Day. March, 2017.
Drugge ED, Volpicelli ER and Drugge RJ. Case series of micromelanomas identified with time-lapse total body photography and dermoscopy. Stamford Regional Hospital Research Day. March, 2016.
Drugge ED. Melanoma Screening for Melanoma Detection. 3rd Quadrennial Automatic Skin Cancer Detection Symposium, Rolla, MO. August 21, 2013.
Drugge ED. Impact of time-lapse clinical image followed by dermoscopic analysis on melanoma detection. Internet Dermatology Society, New Orleans, LA. March 10, 2012.
Dr. Drugge’s Researchgate Website:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth_Drugge2#research
Dr. Drugge’s Complete List of Published Work in PubMed:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?myncbishare=nymclib&dr=citation