
Martha M. Werler, DSc
Professor, Epidemiology - Boston University School of Public Health
Biography
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.
Other Positions
- Chair, Epidemiology - Boston University School of Public Health
Education
- Boston University, DSc Field of Study: Epidemiology
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, MPH Field of Study: Epidemiology
- Boston College, BS Field of Study: Biology
Publications
- Published on 7/13/2023
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.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 7/11/2023
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. PMID: 37356083.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 6/2/2023
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.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/30/2023
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.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/19/2023
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. PMID: 37211090.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/17/2023
Dodge MC, Ye L, Duffy ER, Cole M, Gawel SH, Werler MM, Daghfal D, Andry C, Kataria Y. Kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Serum Antibodies Through the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron Surges Among Vaccinated Health Care Workers at a Boston Hospital. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2023 Jul; 10(7):ofad266. PMID: 37396669.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 5/3/2023
Kaelin VC, Anaby D, Werler MM, Khetani MA. School participation among young people with craniofacial microsomia and other childhood-onset disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2023 May 03. PMID: 37138446.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 4/1/2023
Petersen JM, Hutcheon JA, Bodnar LM, Parker SE, Ahrens KA, Werler MM. Weight gain patterns among pregnancies with obesity and small- and large-for-gestational-age births. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Apr; 31(4):1133-1145. PMID: 36942419.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 3/28/2023
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 Mar 28. PMID: 36976718.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 3/21/2023
Sok P, Sabo A, Almli LM, Jenkins MM, Nembhard WN, Agopian AJ, Bamshad MJ, Blue EE, Brody LC, Brown AL, Browne ML, Canfield MA, Carmichael SL, Chong JX, Dugan-Perez S, Feldkamp ML, Finnell RH, Gibbs RA, Kay DM, Lei Y, Meng Q, Moore CA, Mullikin JC, Muzny D, Olshan AF, Pangilinan F, Reefhuis J, Romitti PA, Schraw JM, Shaw GM, Werler MM, Harpavat S, Lupo PJ. Exome-wide assessment of isolated biliary atresia: A report from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study using child-parent trios and a case-control design to identify novel rare variants. Am J Med Genet A. 2023 Jun; 191(6):1546-1556. PMID: 36942736.
Read At: PubMed
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News & In the Media
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Published on August 3, 2021
Can the UK and India Offer Clues into the Future of the Delta Variant?
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Published on May 10, 2021
Study: States with Mask Mandates Saw Fewer Summertime COVID Cases
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Published on February 24, 2021
#NoComaCuento: Las Mascarillas No Enferman a Las Personas, Pero Sí Frenan Contagios de COVID-19
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Published on February 24, 2021
#NoComaCuento: Las Mascarillas No Enferman a Las Personas, Pero Sí Frenan Contagios de COVID-19
- Published on February 11, 2021
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Published on June 26, 2020
MCH Center of Excellence Offers New Training, Research, and Practice Opportunities
- Published on September 6, 2018
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Published on July 9, 2018
Professor Elected President of Society for Epidemiologic Research
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Published on July 9, 2015
Chronic Hypertension During Pregnancy May Lead to Congenital Birth Defects
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Published on June 2, 2014
EPI Chair Martha Werler Honored by National Birth Defects Prevention Network
- Published on March 27, 2014