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
1DP5OD033415-01



Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
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. Harper T, Kuohung W, Sayres L, Willis MD, Wise LA. Optimizing preconception care and interventions for improved population health. Fertil Steril. 2022 Dec 11.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36516911; DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.12.014;
     
  2. Willis MD, Carozza SE, Hystad P. Congenital anomalies associated with oil and gas development and resource extraction: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Texas. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2023 Jan; 33(1):84-93. PMID: 36460921; PMCID: PMC9852077; DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00505-x;
     
  3. Willis MD, Schrank D, Xu C, Harris L, Ritz BR, Hill EL, Hystad P. A population-based cohort study of traffic congestion and infant growth using connected vehicle data. Sci Adv. 2022 Oct 28; 8(43):eabp8281. PMID: 36306359; PMCID: PMC9616495; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abp8281;
     
  4. Geller RJ, Wesselink AK, Upson K, Claus Henn B, Schildroth S, Wright R, Coleman CM, Willis MD, Bethea TN, Williams PL, Harmon QE, Baird DD, Wegienka G, Wise LA. Correlates of whole blood metal concentrations among reproductive-aged Black women. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2022 Sep 14.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36104525; DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00477-y;
     
  5. McKinnon CJ, Joglekar DJ, Hatch EE, Rothman KJ, Wesselink AK, Willis MD, Wang TR, Mikkelsen EM, Eisenberg ML, Wise LA. Male personal heat exposures and fecundability: A preconception cohort study. Andrology. 2022 Nov; 10(8):1511-1521.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35924639; PMCID: PMC9588744; DOI: 10.1111/andr.13242;
     
  6. Wesselink AK, Hatch EE, Rothman KJ, Wang TR, Willis MD, Yland J, Crowe HM, Geller RJ, Willis SK, Perkins RB, Regan AK, Levinson J, Mikkelsen EM, Wise LA. A Prospective Cohort Study of COVID-19 Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, and Fertility. Am J Epidemiol. 2022 Jul 23; 191(8):1383-1395.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35051292; PMCID: PMC8807200; DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwac011;
     
  7. Willis MD, Orta OR, Ncube C, Wesselink AK, Ðoàn LN, Kirwa K, Boynton-Jarrett R, Hatch EE, Wise LA. Association Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Fertility Among Pregnancy Planners in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jun 01; 5(6):e2218738.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35771576; PMCID: PMC9247730; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18738;
     
  8. Willis MD, Hill EL, Kile ML, Carozza S, Hystad P. Associations between residential proximity to oil and gas extraction and hypertensive conditions during pregnancy: a difference-in-differences analysis in Texas, 1996-2009. Int J Epidemiol. 2022 05 09; 51(2):525-536. PMID: 34897479; PMCID: PMC9082796; DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab246;
     
  9. Wesselink AK, Wang TR, Ketzel M, Mikkelsen EM, Brandt J, Khan J, Hertel O, Laursen ASD, Johannesen BR, Willis MD, Levy JI, Rothman KJ, Sørensen HT, Wise LA, Hatch EE. Air pollution and fecundability: Results from a Danish preconception cohort study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2022 Jan; 36(1):57-67.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34890081; PMCID: PMC8712376; DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12832;
     
  10. Willis MD, Hill EL, Boslett A, Kile ML, Carozza SE, Hystad P. Associations between Residential Proximity to Oil and Gas Drilling and Term Birth Weight and Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants in Texas: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis. Environ Health Perspect. 2021 07; 129(7):77002. PMID: 34287013; PMCID: PMC8293911; DOI: 10.1289/EHP7678;
     
Showing 10 of 17 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 17 publications over 5 distinct years, with a maximum of 8 publications in 2022

YearPublications
20181
20192
20201
20215
20228


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:

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Boston MA 02118
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