Dr. Steven Shea's research has focused on the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease. He has worked on the emergence in childhood of phenotypic characteristics associated with atherosclerosis, and most recently on the correlates of obesity, insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory factors. Other work has investigated access to health services and the implications of disparities in access for cardiovascular disease outcomes. He is currently the principal investigator of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Columbia University Field Center, a 10-year observational study being conducted at six field centers nationally, focusing on subclinical atherosclerosis and its assessment using high technology non-invasive imaging modalities. A second area of interest has been in the application of information systems technology to improving the quality of care in outpatient settings and increasing access to high quality care among medically underserved populations. He is currently the principal investigator for the Informatics for Diabetes and Telemedicine (IDEATel) project. This randomized trial is sponsored by CMS to provide policy-relevant research to inform decision-making about reimbursement for electronically delivered health care services for Medicare beneficiaries. Dr. Shea is presently Hamilton Southworth Professor of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology (in Biomedical Informatics) and Chief of the Division of General Medicine. The clinical responsibilities of the Division of General Medicine include the Associates in Internal Medicine faculty and house staff practice at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Shea is an author of 130 journal articles and several monographs.