Biography
Kara Estep, MPA, is a Director of Research Operations at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). In this role, she provides leadership, management, and supervision within the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) enterprise in order to deliver timely, high-quality, and policy-relevant results as part of an ongoing production process for key health indicators.
Since joining IHME in 2013, Kara has worked in various management positions on GBD. Her roles have been focused on project management and strategic planning for the GBD. She has also been responsible for coordination for scientific governing bodies and the production of scientific publications, including GBD capstone papers. In her current role she also oversees the Data Quality and Intake team.
Prior to joining IHME Kara earned a master’s degree at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington (UW). She started working in research at the UW as an undergraduate student studying at Seattle Pacific University. In addition to her continued work in research at the UW and with various nonprofits in Seattle, Kara served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia.
Zheng P, Afshin A, Biryukov S, et al. The Burden of Proof studies: assessing the evidence of risk. Nature Medicine. 10 October 2022. doi: 10.1038/s41591-022-01973-2.
GBD 2017 Population and Fertility Collaborators. Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018;392:1995-2051. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32278-5.
GBD 2017 Risk Factor Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018;392:1923-94. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32225-6.
GBD 2017 SDG Collaborators. Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. The Lancet. 8 Nov 2018; 392:2091–138. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32281-5.
GBD 2016 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390;1345-1422.
GBD 2016 Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, and national under-5 mortality, adult mortality, age-specific mortality, and life expectancy, 1970–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390;1084–1150.
GBD 2016 Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390;1151–210.
GBD 2016 DALYs and HALE Collaborators. Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390;1260-344.
GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 14 Sept 2017: 390; 1211–59.
GBD 2016 SDG Collaborators. Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet. 12 Sept 2017: 390; 1423–59.
The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators. Health effects of overweight and obesity in 195 countries over 25 years. New England Journal of Medicine. 12 Jun 2017. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1614362
GBD 2015 Healthcare Access and Quality Collaborators. Healthcare Access and Quality Index based on mortality from causes amenable to personal healthcare in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a novel analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. The Lancet. 2017 May 18.
Thomas B, Matsushita K, Abate KH, et al. Global cardiovascular and renal outcomes of reduced GFR. JASN. 2017 Apr 13. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2016050562.
Cohen A, Brauer M, Burnett R, et al. Estimates and 25-year trends of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution: an analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease study 2015. The Lancet. 2017 Apr.
GBD 2015 Tobacco Collaborators. Smoking prevalence and attributable disease burden in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2017 April 7;14:48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30819-X
Forouzanfar MH, Liu P, Roth GA, et al. Global burden of hypertension and systolic blood pressure of at least 110 to 115 mmHg, 1990–2015. JAMA. 2017 Jan 10;317(2):165-182. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.19043.
GBD 2015 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1659–1724.
GBD 2015 DALYs and HALE Collaborators. Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1603–1658.
GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1459–1544.
GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet. 2016 Oct 7; 388:1545–1602.
Mokdad AH, Forouzanfar MH, Daoud F, et al. Health in times of uncertainty in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet Global Health. 2016 Aug. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30168-1.
Kyu HH, Bachman VF, Alexander LT, Mumford JE, Afshin A, Estep K, Veerman JL, Delwiche K, Iannarone ML, Moyer ML, Cercy K, Vos T, Murray CJL, Forouzanfar MH. Physical activity and risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke events: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. the BMJ. 9 Aug 2016; 354:i3857. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i3857
Feigin VL, Roth GA, Naghavi M, et al. Global burden of stroke and risk factors in 188 countries, during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet Neurology. 2016 Jun 9. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(16)30073-4.
Brauer M, Freedman G, Frostad J, et al Ambient air pollution exposure estimation for the Global Burden of Disease 2013. Environmental Science & Technology. 2015 Nov 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03709.
Forouzanfar MH, Alexander L, Anderson HR, et al. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2015 Sep 11. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61455-6.
Murray CJL, Barber RM, Foreman KJ, et al. Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990–2013: quantifying the epidemiological transition. The Lancet. 2015 Aug 27. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61340-X.
Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2015 June 8. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60692-4.
Naghavi M, Wang H, Lozano R, et al. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet. 2014 Dec 17. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2.