Program Faculty

Epidemiology

Our diverse and talented faculty are epidemiological experts who study how a variety of factors affect human health, including climate change, complex chronic disease management, disease prevention and management, disaster preparedness, foodborne outbreaks, healthy aging, HIV, maternity care, and pollutants at work, at home and in the environment.

Primary faculty

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Jeffrey Bethel, PhD

Jeff Bethel, PhD
Associate Professor

Accepting new EPI PhD students
Accepting new MPH students

Jeff's research focuses on building adaptive capacity to address the health impacts of infectious disease outbreaks and natural hazards, particularly among vulnerable populations.

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Marit L. Bovbjerg, PhD

Marit Bovbjerg, PhD
Associate Professor

Not accepting new PhD students
Accepting new MPH students

Marit's research focuses on US maternity care, particularly midwifery and community birth for low-risk women. She is also interested in physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and potential effects on maternal outcomes.

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Matthew Bozigar, PhD

Matthew Bozigar, PhD
Assistant Professor

Accepting new EPI PhD students
Accepting new MPH students

Matt is interested in place-based social and environmental influences on health and health disparities.

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Ellen Smit, PhD, RD

Ellen Smit, PhD RD
Professor

Not accepting new MPH or PhD students

Ellen's research is focused on diet, metabolism, and physical activity in relation to both chronic disease and HIV infection in diverse populations.

Associated faculty

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Perry Hystad, PhD

Perry Hystad, PhD
Professor
Environmental and Occupational Health

Not accepting new PhD students
Accepting new MPH students

Perry's research uses spatial exposure assessment methods to determine the chronic health effects associated with exposure to air pollution, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer.

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Yumie Takata, PhD

Yumie Takata, PhD
Associate Professor
Nutrition

Yumie's research focuses on the etiological roles of nutritional factors in cancer and chronic disease.

Recent publications

(This is not an exhaustive list. We are still rebuilding our database of faculty publications. Visit individual faculty profiles for more extensive lists of their publications.)

2025

Craig Keenan, V., Bovbjerg, M.L., Cheyney, M.  (2025)  Doulas as Professional and Institutional Allies: The Upsides of Doula Disruption  International Journal of Childbirth  
Snippen, J.R., Harvey, S.M., Repp, K.K., Bovbjerg, M.L.  (2025)  Death scene investigation by medicolegal death investigators: Frequency and associated factors in two US jurisdictions  Journal of Forensic Sciences  70(5)
Craig Keenan, V., Horan, H., Bovbjerg, M.L, Arefaine, M., Cheyney, M.  (2025)  Navigating the Perinatal Partnership: Recommendations to Facilitate Integration and Collaboration Between Institutions, Clinicians, and Doulas  The Journal of Perinatal Education  
Mowrer, C., Larkin, A., Roscoe, C., Grady, S. T., Peters, J. L., Haggerty, B., Hystad, P., Bozigar, M.  (2025)  Systematic measurement and machine learning-based profile characterization of community noise in a medium-large city in the United States  Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology  
Kumbeni, M.T., Bovbjerg, M.L., Harvey, S.M., Chi, C., Luck, J.  (2025)  The role of restrictive abortion laws on modern contraceptive use in Sub Saharan Africa  PLOS Global Public Health  5(7)
Cazer, C.L., Lawless, J.W., Mehta, P., Wagner, B, Diel, D.G., McLaughlin, K.R., Bethel, J., Plocharczyk, E., Cummings, K.J., Meredith, G.R., Hillson, S., Lawlis, R., Parrilla, L., Dalziel, B.D.  (2025)  Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in a New York county in 2022 reveals frequent asymptomatic or undiagnosed infections  PLOS One  20
Kumbeni, M.T., Bovbjerg, M.L., Harvey, S.M., Luck, J.  (2025)  Kenya’s 2010 abortion law impacts contraceptive use and fertility rates  Reproductive Health  22(1)
Bozigar, M., Connolly, C.L., Vermeer, K., Carvalho, L., Cohen, R.T., Dugas, J.N., Levy, J.I., Fabian, M.P.  (2025)  Associations between in-home environmental exposures and lung function in a safety net population of children with asthma using electronic health records and geospatial data  Annals of Epidemiology  105

2024

Tilden, E.L., Kissler, K., Myatt, L., Lundborg, L., Turney, M., Bovbjerg, M.L., Erickson, E.N.  (2024)  More than the passage of time: neonatal health and active labor duration, the mediating role of chorioamnionitis  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology  
Bovbjerg, M.L., Cheyney, M., Hoehn-Velasco, L., Jolles, D.R., Brown, J., Stapleton, J., Everson, C.L., Stapleton, S.R., Vedam, S.  (2024)  Planned Home Births in the United States Have Outcomes Comparable to Planned Birth Center Births for Low-Risk Birthing Individuals  Medical Care  62(12)