Mary D. Willis, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology

PhD, Oregon State University
MPH, University of Rochester
BA, University of Rochester

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Mary D. Willis, Ph.D., M.P.H., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. Her expertise lies at the intersection of environmental epidemiology, spatial exposure assessment, and applied data science. Much of her work also leverages econometric-based causal inference methods. She is particularly interested in how epidemiological studies can be best designed to inform health-protective policy decisions. To date, Dr. Willis has primarily focused on how on exposures from the energy sector (e.g., oil and gas development, traffic-related air pollution) and other aspects of the built environment (e.g., green space, neighborhood disadvantage) influence reproductive health outcomes.

Dr. Willis is PI of an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award that examines how oil and gas development may impact fertility and pregnancy. She is also a co-investigator on an accountability study of vehicle emission regulations and birth outcomes that is funded by the Health Effects Institute.


A Preconception Cohort Study on Oil and Gas Development, Fertility, and Pregnancy
09/15/2022 - 08/31/2027 (PI)
NIH/Office of the Director
5DP5OD033415-02

The TRANSIT Accountability Study: Assessing impacts of vehicle emission regulations and local congestion policies on birth outcomes associated with traffic air pollution.
12/01/2022 - 07/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Oregon State University Health Effects Inst




Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 A Preconception Cohort Study on Oil and Gas Development, Fertility, and Pregnancy 5DP5OD033415-02
2022 A Preconception Cohort Study on Oil and Gas Development, Fertility, and Pregnancy 1DP5OD033415-01
2020 Environmental Data Integration to Assess Impacts of Shale Gas Development on Perinatal Health Outcomes and Childhood Cancers 5F31ES029801-02
2019 Environmental Data Integration to Assess Impacts of Shale Gas Development on Perinatal Health Outcomes and Childhood Cancers 1F31ES029801-01A1

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Hill E, Harleman M, Harris L, Sventek G, Ritz B, Campbell EJ, Willis M, Hystad P. Roadway construction as a natural experiment to examine air pollution impacts on infant health. Environ Res. 2024 Mar 28; 118788. PMID: 38555097; DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118788;
     
  2. Savitz DA, Wise LA, Bond JC, Hatch EE, Ncube CN, Wesselink AK, Willis MD, Yland JJ, Rothman KJ. Responding to Reviewers and Editors About Statistical Significance Testing. Ann Intern Med. 2024 Mar; 177(3):385-386.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38373303
     
  3. Bond JC, Coleman CM, Yland JJ, Wesselink AK, Wang T, Willis M, Hatch EE, Rothman KJ, Savitz D, Eisenberg ML, Wise LA. Preconception sleep duration, non-daytime work schedules, and incidence of spontaneous abortion: a prospective cohort study. Hum Reprod. 2024 Feb 01; 39(2):413-424.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38059518
     
  4. Wesselink AK, Kirwa K, Hystad P, Kaufman JD, Szpiro AA, Willis MD, Savitz DA, Levy JI, Rothman KJ, Mikkelsen EM, Laursen ASD, Hatch EE, Wise LA. Ambient air pollution and rate of spontaneous abortion. Environ Res. 2024 Apr 01; 246:118067.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38157969; PMCID: PMC10947860; DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.118067;
     
  5. Sabbath EL, Willis MD, Wesselink AK, Wang TR, McKinnon CJ, Hatch EE, Wise LA. Association between job control and time to pregnancy in a preconception cohort. Fertil Steril. 2024 Mar; 121(3):497-505.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38036244; PMCID: PMC10923004; DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.11.022;
     
  6. Willis MD, Harris L, Campbell EJ, Chaskes M, Sawyer E, Harleman M, Ritz B, Hill EL, Hystad P. A population-based cohort study of electronic tolling, traffic congestion, and adverse birth outcomes. Environ Int. 2024 Jan; 183:108355. PMID: 38056094; DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108355;
     
  7. Wise LA, Wang TR, Mikkelsen EM, Wesselink AK, Calafat AM, Wegienka G, Geller RJ, Coleman CM, Willis MD, Marsh EE, Schildroth S, Botelho JC, Messerlian-Lambert G, Hatch EE. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentrations in Two Preconception Cohort Studies. Environ Health Perspect. 2023 Oct; 131(10):107703.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37882725; PMCID: PMC10601879; DOI: 10.1289/EHP12592;
     
  8. Wesselink AK, Hystad P, Kirwa K, Kaufman JD, Willis MD, Wang TR, Szpiro AA, Levy JI, Savitz DA, Rothman KJ, Hatch EE, Wise LA. Air pollution and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort study. Environ Int. 2023 Nov; 181:108249.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37862861; PMCID: PMC10841991; DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108249;
     
  9. Sims KD, Willis MD, Hystad PW, Batty GD, Bibbins-Domingo K, Smit E, Odden MC. Neighborhood Characteristics and Elevated Blood Pressure in Older Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Sep 05; 6(9):e2335534. PMID: 37747730; PMCID: PMC10520741; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.35534;
     
  10. Willis MD, Buonocore JJ. Fossil Fuel Racism: The Ongoing Burden of Oil and Gas Development in the Shadows of Regulatory Inaction. Am J Public Health. 2023 Nov; 113(11):1176-1178.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37651657; PMCID: PMC10568515; DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2023.307403;
     
Showing 10 of 34 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 33 publications over 7 distinct years, with a maximum of 13 publications in 2023

YearPublications
20181
20192
20201
20215
20228
202313
20243


Traffic congestion may be linked to lower birthweights, study finds

News Medical 11/15/2022

Highway and traffic pollution could be connected to low birthweight

Popular Science 10/28/2022

Traffic jams are tied to lower birth weights, study finds

The Verge 10/28/2022

NIH Honors Two BU Researchers “Poised to Blaze New Paths of Discovery”

BU Today 10/18/2022

Living Closer to Oil and Gas Drilling Linked to Higher Risk of Pregnancy Complications, New Study Finds

DeSmog 1/11/2022

In the Drill Zone, Children’s Health Is Looking Bleak

Texas Observer 6/15/2021

2022 NIH Common Fund: NIH Director's Early Independence Award
2020 International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: Conference Travel Award
2020 Oregon State University: Fred & Helen E. Durbin Scholarship
2020 Cascadia Annual Symposium on Environmental, Occupational, and Public Health: Best Oral Paper
2020 Oregon State University: Doctoral Student Travel Award
2019-2020 NIH NIEHS: Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral National Research Service Award
2019-2020 Oregon State University : Training Grant/External Fellowship Tuition Relief Scholarship
2019-2020 Oregon State University: Warren & Frederica Schad Fellowship
2019 CARTEEH Symposium on Transportation, Air Quality, and Health: Best Oral Presentation
2018-2019 NIH NCATS: Mentored Predoctoral Career Development Award
2018-2019 Oregon State University: Liam Wood Memorial Fellowship
2018-2019 Oregon State University: Warren & Frederica Schad Fellowship
2018-2019 Oregon State University: Dean’s Graduate Scholarship
2018 International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: Conference Travel Award
2018 IBM & Oregon State University : Workshop Scholarship for Deep Learning in Life Sciences
2017 Annual Semiahmoo Symposium on Environmental, Occupational and Public Health: Best Oral Paper
Contact for Mentoring:

715 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
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