Mary Willis
Profiles

Mary Willis, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Epidemiology - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-3728
Talbot
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Biography

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.

Education

  • Oregon State University, PhD Field of Study: Public Health
  • University of Rochester, MPH Field of Study: Public Health - Epidemiology
  • University of Rochester, BA Field of Study: Epidemiology/Environmental Studies

Websites

Classes Taught

  • SPHEP857
  • SPHEP911
  • SPHEP912

Publications

  • Published on 10/25/2024

    Willis MD, Mooney F, Weuve J, Hystad P, Walker H, Walker A, Stelly A, Fox S, Lees L. The Promises and Potential Pitfalls of Highway Reclamation for Population Health: A Research Framework. J Urban Health. 2024 Oct 25. PMID: 39455537.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/24/2024

    Buonocore JJ, Fisher J, Prull D, Willis MD, Arunachalam S, Perera F, Kinney P, Sousa B, Levy JI. Federal Policy Platforms and Public Health: Reinforcing the Benefits of Air Pollution Control Devices at Power Plants in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2025 Jan; 115(1):30-33. PMID: 39447107.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 10/16/2024

    Casey JA, Willis MD. Invited Perspective: Drilling Down into the Mechanisms Linking Oil and Gas Development to Adverse Perinatal Health Outcomes. Environ Health Perspect. 2024 Oct; 132(10):101301. PMID: 39412280.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 9/26/2024

    Willis MD, Casey JA, Buonocore JJ. Potential Health Hazards of Cryptocurrency Mining: Protecting Health in a "Digital Oil Boom". JAMA. 2024 Sep 26. PMID: 39325478.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/14/2024

    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. PMID: 39151555.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 8/3/2024

    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. PMID: 39098825.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 7/26/2024

    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. PMID: 39058555.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 7/11/2024

    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. PMID: 38991173.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/21/2024

    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.

     Read At: PubMed
  • Published on 6/18/2024

    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 Nov 01; 260:119438. PMID: 38901815.

     Read At: PubMed

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