Martha Werler, DSc
Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology

DSc, Boston University
MPH, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
BS, Boston College



Dr. Werler is Professor and Chair of Epidemiology. She is a perinatal epidemiologist whose NIH- and CDC- supported research focuses on the impact of pregnancy exposures on birth outcomes, including congenital malformations, fetal growth, and neurodevelopment. She has studied medication use in pregnancy, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic, anti-depressant, and anti-epileptic drugs. Her recent work explores prescription opioid use and treatments for opioid use disorder among pregnant women. She has published over 200 papers and book chapters, served as President of the Society for Epidemiology Research (2018-2021), been recognized for her mentorship of doctoral students by the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research, been honored for her research on congenital anomalies by the Teratology Society Fraser Award and the National Birth Defect Prevention Network Oakley Award; and served on numerous NIH advisory and review boards. Dr. Werler is an Assistant Editor for the Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology journal. Dr. Werler directed the BU Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology training program for pre-doctoral candidates in Epidemiology and teaches Design and Conduct of Case-Control Studies.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

On a personal level, my thinking about race/ethnicity in my research, teaching and service has evolved and continues to evolve. This includes thoughtful conceptualization of 'race' in epidemiologic analyses and more circumspect interpretation of findings within my own research and in my peer- and program-review roles. In my courses, I seek to provide a range of learning materials that include contemporary public health issues, recognize disparities, and highlight diverse authors and study populations. At the Department level, I am overseeing a variety of activities stemming from the Department’s Anti-Racism Working Group report of September 2020. This includes a dedicated monthly meeting for all faculty, staff, and students in the department on anti-racism-related topics. In 2022-23, the Department's Anti-Racism Committee is leading a speaker series 'Measurement in the Study of Racism and Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health.' I and seven other department members have completed a year-long racial literacy program with an outside consultant and are moving forward with action plans for the Department. Fostering inclusivity and diversity in all Department activities is a priority of mine, which I am approaching through the efforts described above and through hiring.


Early Life Course of Children with Congenital Structural Heart Anomalies
09/30/2022 - 09/29/2026 (PI)
HHS/Center for Disease Control
5 NU50DD000111-02-00

Massachusetts Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (BD STEPS) - Core
02/28/2019 - 08/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Comm. of Mass./Department of Public Health HHS CDC
5U01DD001224-03-00

Safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of extended-release naltrexone in pregnant women with opioid use disorder
10/01/2018 - 05/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Boston Medical Center Corporation NIH NICHD
5R01HD096798-05

Pregnancy in women with congenital physical disabilities: Risk factors, birth outcomes, and mediation
04/01/2019 - 03/31/2022 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
5R03HD098507-02

A Population-Based Study to Quantify the Risks of Opioid Analgesics in Pregnancy
09/01/2020 - 08/31/2021 (Subcontract PI)
Queen's University at Kingston NIH NICHD
5R03HD099617-02

A Population-Based Study to Quantify the Risks of Opioid Analgesics in Pregnancy
09/12/2019 - 08/31/2020 (Subcontract PI)
Queen's University at Kingston NIH NICHD
1R03HD099617-01

Exploring Modifiable Factors for Folic Acid Resistant Spina Bifida
09/01/2015 - 04/30/2019 (PI)
HHS/CDC/National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
6 U01DD001184-03-03

Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research
04/01/2014 - 03/31/2019 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
5R13HD055094-12

Zika Virus Colombia Cohort Study
09/01/2017 - 05/31/2018 (Multi-PI)
PI: Martha Werler, DSc
Vysnova Partners Inc., HHS CDC


BURPPE: BU REPRODUCTIVE, PERINATAL, AND PEDIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM
05/01/2016 - 08/31/2017 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
4T32HD052458-10

Showing 10 of 17 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 Massachusetts Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention: Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS (BD STEPS Core and Stillbirth) 1U01DD001300-01
2020 Pregnancy in women with congenital physical disabilities: Risk factors, birth outcomes, and mediation 5R03HD098507-02
2019 Pregnancy in women with congenital physical disabilities: Risk factors, birth outcomes, and mediation 1R03HD098507-01
2018 BD-STEPS II (Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS) - Core 1U01DD001224-01 5
2018 BD-STEPS II (Birth Defects Study To Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS) - Core 6U01DD001224-01M002 5
2018 EXPLORING MODIFIABLE FACTORS FOR FOLIC ACID RESISTANT SPINA BIFIDA 6U01DD001184-03M002 6
2018 EXPLORING MODIFIABLE FACTORS FOR FOLIC ACID RESISTANT SPINA BIFIDA 6U01DD001184-03M001 6
2018 Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research 5R13HD055094-12 2
2017 EXPLORING MODIFIABLE FACTORS FOR FOLIC ACID RESISTANT SPINA BIFIDA 5U01DD001184-03 6
2017 Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research 5R13HD055094-11 2
Showing 10 of 55 results. Show All Results

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.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Idriss HT, Werler MM. Investigating the association between vitamin D dietary intake during pregnancy and incidence of clubfoot in neonates. Birth Defects Res. 2023 Oct 18. PMID: 37853656
     
  2. Krajewski AK, Patel A, Gray CL, Messer LC, Keeler CY, Langlois PH, Reefhuis J, Gilboa SM, Werler MM, Shaw GM, Carmichael SL, Nembhard WN, Insaf TZ, Feldkamp ML, Conway KM, Lobdell DT, Desrosiers TA. Is gastroschisis associated with county-level socio-environmental quality during pregnancy? Birth Defects Res. 2023 Nov 01; 115(18):1758-1769. PMID: 37772934
     
  3. Kaelin VC, Boyd AD, Werler MM, Parde N, Khetani MA. Natural Language Processing to Classify Caregiver Strategies Supporting Participation Among Children and Youth with Craniofacial Microsomia and Other Childhood-Onset Disabilities. J Healthc Inform Res. 2023 Dec; 7(4):480-500.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37927374; PMCID: PMC10620347; DOI: 10.1007/s41666-023-00149-y;
     
  4. Blue EE, White JJ, Dush MK, Gordon WW, Wyatt BH, White P, Marvin CT, Helle E, Ojala T, Priest JR, Jenkins MM, Almli LM, Reefhuis J, Pangilinan F, Brody LC, McBride KL, Garg V, Shaw GM, Romitti PA, Nembhard WN, Browne ML, Werler MM, Kay DM, Mital S, Chong JX, Nascone-Yoder NM, Bamshad MJ. Rare variants in CAPN2 increase risk for isolated hypoplastic left heart syndrome. HGG Adv. 2023 Oct 12; 4(4):100232. PMID: 37663545; PMCID: PMC10474499; DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100232;
     
  5. Petersen JM, Smith-Webb RS, Shaw GM, Carmichael SL, Desrosiers TA, Nestoridi E, Darling AM, Parker SE, Politis MD, Yazdy MM, Werler MM. Periconceptional intakes of methyl donors and other micronutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism may further reduce the risk of neural tube defects in offspring: a United States population-based case-control study of women meeting the folic acid recommendations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Sep; 118(3):720-728.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37661108
     
  6. Neo DT, Martin CL, Carmichael SL, Gucsavas-Calikoglu M, Conway KM, Evans SP, Feldkamp ML, Gilboa SM, Insaf TZ, Musfee FI, Shaw GM, Shumate C, Werler MM, Olshan AF, Desrosiers TA. Are individual-level risk factors for gastroschisis modified by neighborhood-level socioeconomic factors? Birth Defects Res. 2023 Sep 01; 115(15):1438-1449. PMID: 37439400; PMCID: PMC10527855; DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2224;
     
  7. Werler MM, Kerr SM, Ailes EC, Reefhuis J, Gilboa SM, Browne ML, Kelley KE, Hernandez-Diaz S, Smith-Webb RS, Garcia MH, Mitchell AA. Patterns of Prescription Medication Use during the First Trimester of Pregnancy in the United States, 1997-2018. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2023 Oct; 114(4):836-844.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37356083
     
  8. Howley MM, Werler MM, Fisher SC, Tracy M, Van Zutphen AR, Papadopoulos EA, Hansen C, Ailes EC, Reefhuis J, Wood ME, Browne ML. Maternal exposure to zolpidem and risk of specific birth defects. J Sleep Res. 2023 Jun 02; e13958. PMID: 37269133
     
  9. Neo DT, Desrosiers TA, Martin CL, Carmichael SL, Gucsavas-Calikoglu M, Conway KM, Evans SP, Feldkamp ML, Gilboa SM, Insaf TZ, Musfee FI, Shaw GM, Shumate CJ, Werler MM, Olshan AF. Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Position During Early Pregnancy and Risk of Gastroschisis. Epidemiology. 2023 Jul 01; 34(4):576-588. PMID: 36976718; PMCID: PMC10291502; DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001621;
     
  10. Holland E, Gibbs L, Spence NZ, Young M, Werler MM, Guang Z, Saia K, Bateman BT, Achu R, Wachman EM. A comparison of postpartum opioid consumption and opioid discharge prescriptions among opioid-naïve patients and those with opioid use disorder. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Aug; 5(8):101025.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37211090
     
Showing 10 of 266 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 262 publications over 38 distinct years, with a maximum of 18 publications in 2011 and 2023

YearPublications
19851
19862
19873
19881
19893
19903
19911
19923
19933
19942
19952
19963
19972
19994
20004
20013
20025
20036
20043
20055
20066
20077
20088
200913
20107
201118
201212
201316
201415
201512
201612
20177
20189
201912
20208
202112
202211
202318

2014 National Birth Defects Prevention Network: Godfrey P. Oakley Award
2012 Soc. Pediatric & Perinatal Epidemiology Research: Mentoring Award
2003 BU School of Public Health: Distinguished Alumni
2000 Teratology Society: Clark Fraser New Investigator Award
Contact for Mentoring:

715 Albany St Talbot Building
Boston MA 02118
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