Janis M. Miller, PhD, RN, APRN, FAAN

Janis Miller

Professor
Research Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School
Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences
Room 3218 NURS1

University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482

Telephone: (734) 764-4545
Fax: (734) 615-1666
Janis Miller is not accepting new PhD students.

Interests

  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Overactive bladder
  • Obstetric fistula
  • Sexual violence related fistula

Dr. Miller's research expertise lies in finding causative factors and opportunities for prevention of disorders and injuries to a woman’s “private body parts.”  She has had a lead role in the internationally recognized Pelvic Floor Research Group at the University of Michigan for over 20 years. In her clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Miller draws on her particular research expertise, seeing patients at the University of Michigan urogynecology clinic, which specializes in pelvic floor disorders (incontinence, prolapse, and birth-related injury). Additionally, Dr. Miller collaborates with a team of investigators at Panzi Hospital and the Evangelical University in Africa, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo in research pertinent to conflict-related sexual violence, obstetric fistula, and other related matters.

Current Research Grants and Programs

  • Fluids and Beverages Underlying Lower Urinary Symptoms (FABULUS I & II) Pfizer & Blue Cross/Blue Shield Michigan (Principle Investigator/Co-Investigator). Goal: This two –phase RCT study will provide insights about the degree to which beverage habits relate to symptoms of overactive bladder, distinguishing ingredient type from volume of intake overall. Insights gained will guide further testing on whether specific ingredient types (caffeine, acidic beverages, alcohol) or overall volume intake of any beverage should be a primary focus in prevention initiative for common overactive bladder troubles.
  • The Truly Healthy Bladder: Understanding Normal as a Pathway to Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract symptoms in Women NIH/NIDDK (site Principal Investigator). Goal: This project will provide us with critical evidence to guide primary care providers in understanding what constitutes a healthy bladder. From knowledge gained, we can initiate prevention strategies aimed at reducing the risk for and incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms over the lifespan.
  • Maternal Birth-Related Neuromuscular Injury and Recovery III: Evaluating Maternal Recovery from Labor and Delivery III (EMRLD3), NIH/NICHD/ORWH (Principal Investigator/Project Lead). Goal: This project will provide us with critical evidence to guide women in determining their risk for a major full loss of the support muscle to the pelvic organs. two-phase that a second birth doubles the risk of genital prolapse offers the opportunity to prevent the associated injury (levator ani loss) and its consequences later in life.
  • The International Center for Advanced Research and Training (ICART) in Bukavu, DRC (principal investigator of founding grant in 2013, founding member, founding and current advisory steering board member). ICART is a novel research center located in a post-conflict region as a collaborative between award-winning Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Evangelical University in Africa (EUA) in Bukavu, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. ICART’s mission is “Building local capacity to solve local problems” http://icart-bukavu.org/. Collaborations between local and international investigators (University of Michigan and others) center on the strength of Panzi Hospital’s databases on sexual violence/obstetric fistula (lead collaborator Panzi CEO and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize awardee Dr. Denis Mukwege). EUA’s unique strengths in agriculture/environment/economic sciences complement the work and offer university-to-university opportunity (lead collaborator EUA President Gustave Mushagalusa).
  • Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation SWAN V, NIH/NINR (Co-Investigator) Goal: This well-known longitudinal trial, over two decades in operation, originally was designed to study the natural history of the transition to menopause. The cohort of women is followed into old age and now includes survey data on prolapse as well as incontinence. Prior well-documented life events, such as lifestyle, hormonal, and obstetric information. Specific to Dr. Miller’s interests, SWAN will greatly enhance our knowledge about risk factors and natural history of pelvic floor disorders, along with its numerous broader contributions in knowledge about women’s health across mid to old age.

Teaching

Dr. Miller has an extensive background in teaching, having taught 8 in-class courses; but much of her teaching experience comes from one-on-one advising, having advised or mentored 65 people, including high school students, undergraduates, research fellows, doctoral and postdoctoral students, international scholars and fellows, and junior faculty. Dr. Miller has presented at nearly 50 invited internal and external teaching presentations and well over 100 extramural refereed presentations, 13 of them being award-winning.

Affiliations / Service

  • Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, 2012-current
  • American Academy of Nursing, 2012-current
  • National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 2012-current
  • Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners, 2010-current
  • International Continence Society, 2003-current
  • American Urogynecology Society, 2003-current
  • Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses Association, 1999-current
  • Society of Urological Nurses, 1999-current
  • National Association for Continence, 1995-current
  • Sigma Theta Tau, Rho Chapter, 1988-current
  • Midwest Nursing Research Society, 1987-current
  • American Nurses Association, 1986-current

Notable Awards / Honors

  • Editor’s Choice manuscript, American Journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2015
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, 2012
  • American Urogynecological Society Best Clinical/Evaluation/Testing Paper Award, 2012
  • American Urogynecological Society Best Clinical Paper Award, 2010

Education

  • Post-Master's Certificate ANP, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2001
  • Postdoc, Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1999
  • PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1996
  • MSN, Loyola University of Chicago, IL, 1988
  • BSN, Goshen College, Goshen, IN, 1981

Publication Highlights

  • Harlow BL, Bavendam TG, Palmer MH, Brubaker L, Burgio KL, Lukacz ES, Miller JM, Mueller ER, Newman DK, Rickey LM, Sutcliffe S, Simons-Morton D. The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium: A Transdisciplinary Approach Toward Promoting Bladder Health and Preventing Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Women Across the Life Course. J Women’s Heal. 2018;27(3):283-289. doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2017.6566 PubMed PMID: 29634445; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5865253.

  • Mukwege D, Peters L, Amisi C, Smith A, Miller JM. Panzi Score as Parsimonious Severity Indicator for Uro-Genital Fistula derived from Goh and Waaldijk Classification at Panzi Hospital DR Congo. Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2018; 142(2):187-193. PMID: 29705989 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.12514

  • Miller, J. A plea for recognizing all causes of gynaecological fistulae. BJOG: Int J Obstet Gyn. 2017;124. 965. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.14357

  • Wagner T, Scott JY, Newman DK, Miller JM, Kirk K, DiCamillo M, Raghunathan TE, Diokno A, Sampselle S. Costs and Sustainability of a Behavioral Intervention for Urinary Incontinence Prevention. Urology Practice. 2018; 5(4):266-271 doi.org/10.1016/j.urpr.2017.05.003

  • Harlow SD, Karvonen-Gutierrez C, Elliott MR, Bonarenko I, Avis NE, Bromberger JT, Brooks MM, Miller JM, Reed B. It is not just menopause: Symptom clustering in the study of women’s health across the nation. Women’s Midlife Health, 2017;3:2: doi.org/10.1186/s40695-017-0021-y

  • Sampselle C, Newman D, Miller JM, Kird K, DiCamillo MA, Wagner T, Raghunathan T, Diokno A. A randomized controlled trial to compare 2 scalable interventions for lower urinary tract symptoms prevention: Main outcomes of the TULIP study. J Urol. 2017; 197(6), 1480-1486. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.12.099.

  • Zielinski R, Low LK, Miller JM. Body after baby: A pilot survey of genital body image and sexual esteem following vaginal birth. Int J. Womens Health. 2017;13;9:189-198. PMID: 28450789. PMCID: PMC5399976. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S123051.

  • Miller JM, Rodseth S, Guo Y, Garcia C, Schimpf M. Does instruction to eliminate caffeinated, artificially sweetened, and alcoholic beverages improve lower urinary tract symptoms: a prospective trial. WOCN 2016, 43(1): 69-79. PMCID: PMC4799659 PMID: 26727685 doi:  [10.1097/WON.0000000000000197]

  • *Miller JM, Low L, Zielinski R, Smith A, DeLancey J, Brandon C. Evaluating maternal recovery from labor and delivery: bone and levator ani injuries. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. AJOG 2015; 213(2): p188e1 – 188e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.05.001. Award winning best clinical/evaluation/testing paper at the American Urogynecologic Society annual meeting, 2012. Accompanying Editorial: Nygaard, I. New directions in understanding how the pelvic floor prepares for and recovers from vaginal delivery. AJOG. 2015; 213 (2): 121–122.

  • Ashton-Miller J, Zielinski R, DeLancey J, Miller JM, Validity and reliability of an instrumented speculum designed to minimize the effect of intra-abdominal pressure on the measurement of pelvic floor muscle strength. Clin Biomech. 2014;29(10): 1146-50. PMID: 25307868, PMCID: PMC 4372800. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.09.011

  • Betschart C, Kim J, Miller J, Ashton-Miller J, DeLancey J. Comparison of muscle fiber directions between different levator ani muscle subdivisions: in-vivo MRI measurements in women. Int Urogynecol J. 2014; 25 (9): 1263-8. PMID: 24832855; PMCID: PMC4140951 doi: 10.1007/s00192-014-2395-9

  • Low LK, Zielinski R, Tao Y, Galecki, A, Brandon C, Miller J. Predicting birth-related levator ani tear severity at first vaginal birth. Open J Obstet Gnecol, 2014;4(6):266-278. PMID: 25379356 PMCID: PMC4219623. doi:  [10.4236/ojog.2014.46043]

  • Low LK, Miller JM, Guo Y, Ashton-Miller JA, Delancey JO, Sampselle CM. Spontaneous pushing to prevent postpartum urinary incontinence: a randomized, controlled trial. Int Urogynecol J. 2013 24(3):453-60. doi: 10.1007/s00192-012-1884-y. PMCID: PMC3980478.

  • Seng J, Miller J, Sperlich M, van de Ven CJ, Brown S, Carter CS, Liberzon I. Exploring dissociation and oxytocin as pathways between trauma exposure and trauma-related hyperemesis gravidarum: a test-of-concept pilot. J Trauma Dissociation. 2013;14(1):40-55. doi: 10.1080/15299732.2012.694594.

  • Zielinksi R, Miller J, Kane Low L, Sampselle C, Delancey JOL. The relationship between pelvic organ prolapse, genital body image, and sexual health. Neurourol Urodyn 2012; 31(7): 1145-8. PMID: 22473490 PMCID: PMC3394912 doi:  [10.1002/nau.22205

  • Zielinksi R, Kane Low L, Miller J, Sampselle C. Validity and reliability of a scale to measure genital body image. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 2012;38(4):309-24. PMID: 22712817 doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2011.569639

  • Brandon C, Jacobson J, Low L, Park L, DeLancey JO, Miller J. Pubic bone injuries in primiparous women: magnetic resonance imaging in detection and differential diagnosis of structural injury. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2012; 39(4):444-51. doi: 10.1002/uog.9082. PMID: 21728205.

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