Mark L. Wilson, ScD

Mark L. Wilson, Sc.D., professor of epidemiology and professor of global public health in the School of Public Health, and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, retired from active faculty status on June 30, 2018.

Professor Wilson received his B.A. (1972) degree from Hiram College and his Sc.M. (1980) and Sc.D. (1985) degrees from Harvard University. From 1986-90, he pursued postdoctoral research at the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, S6ndgal. He served as an assistant professor (1991-95) and associate professor (1995-96) at Yale University. He joined the University of Michigan faculty as an associate professor in 1997, and was promoted to professor in 2004.

Throughout his career, Professor Wilson's research explored population-level patterns and processes of human diseases that have strong environmental and social drivers. Most of these diseases arise from infectious microbes that are transmitted among people or between animals and humans, and have complex dynamics that defy simple interventions. His approach to analyzing disease risk developed from an ecological perspective in which populations of pathogenic microbes, humans, arthropod vectors, and non-human vertebrates interact through multifaceted, environmentally dependent linkages, thereby adding to the challenges of producing effective interventions. Professor Wilson's scholarly efforts have resulted in more than 200 published articles or book chapters. Many of these investigations were designed to improve our understanding of exposure pathways that could be applied to public health policy and prevention. He served on numerous national and international scientific advisory bodies, including committees of the Institute of Medicine, the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, and the French National Research Agency. A committed instructor and dedicated mentor, Professor Wilson served as the primary reader for 107 master's degree projects and was a member, chair, or co-chair of 65 doctoral dissertation committees.

The Regents now salute this distinguished faculty member by naming Mark L. Wilson professor emeritus of epidemiology, professor emeritus of global public health, and professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology.