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 - 06/30/2024 (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. Buckley L, Arter CA, Willis MD, Geddes JA, Rick C, Kinney PL, Arunachalam S, Buonocore JJ, Levy JI. A comparison of population-level exposure and equity tradeoffs across strategies to reduce fine particulate matter emissions from transportation sources in the northeastern US. Environ Res. 2024 Aug 14; 262(Pt 1):119791.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39151555; DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119791;
     
  2. Sims KD, Glymour MM, Ncube CN, Willis MD. Improving spatial exposure data for everyone - lifecourse social context and ascertaining residential history. Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Aug 03.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39098825
     
  3. Wesselink AK, Gause EL, Spangler KD, Hystad P, Kirwa K, Willis MD, Wellenius GA, Wise LA. EXPOSURE TO AMBIENT HEAT AND RISK OF SPONTANEOUS ABORTION: A CASE-CROSSOVER STUDY. Epidemiology. 2024 Jul 26.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39058555
     
  4. Willis MD, Campbell EJ, Selbe S, Koenig MR, Gradus JL, Nillni YI, Casey JA, Deziel NC, Hatch EE, Wesselink AK, Wise LA. Residential Proximity to Oil and Gas Development and Mental Health in a North American Preconception Cohort Study: 2013-2023. Am J Public Health. 2024 Sep; 114(9):923-934.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38991173; DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307730;
     
  5. González DJX, Morello-Frosch R, Liu Z, Willis MD, Feng Y, McKenzie LM, Steiger BB, Wang J, Deziel NC, Casey JA. Wildfires increasingly threaten oil and gas wells in the western United States with disproportionate impacts on marginalized populations. One Earth. 2024 Jun 21; 7(6):1044-1055. PMID: 39036466; PMCID: PMC11259100; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.05.013;
     
  6. Reimer CJ, Willis MD, Wesselink AK, Hystad P, Campbell EJ, Hatch EE, Kirwa K, Gradus JL, Vinceti M, Wise LA, Jimenez MP. Exposure to residential greenness, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in a North American preconception cohort. Environ Res. 2024 Jun 18; 260:119438.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38901815
     
  7. Larkin A, Willis MD, Harris L, Ritz B, Hill EL, Hystad P. High Traffic Roads and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Comparing Births Upwind and Downwind of the Same Road. Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Jun 14. PMID: 38879742; DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae120;
     
  8. Willis MD, Hoffman MN, Wang TR, Sabbath EL, Kuriyama AS, Wesselink AK, Wise LA. Evaluating participant engagement in a preconception cohort study in relation to the Dobbs decision. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 26.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38666636; DOI: 10.1111/ppe.13080;
     
  9. 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 Jul 01; 252(Pt 2):118788. PMID: 38555097; DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118788;
     
  10. 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
     
Showing 10 of 42 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 41 publications over 7 distinct years, with a maximum of 13 publications in 2023

YearPublications
20181
20192
20201
20215
20228
202313
202411

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Recent (within 3 months)

Living near oil and gas sites linked to hidden health issues

Earth.com 7/15/2024
Older

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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