Michael B. Bracken, PhD, MPH, FACE
Professor, School of Public Health (Chronic Disease Epidemiology) and Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology

Mentee:

Yawei Zhang

Dr. Bracken’s most recent investigational work centers around the identification of genetic polymorphisms that increase disease susceptibility and their interaction with lifestyle risk factors. He has published over 300 articles and chapters, providing major contributions in the fields of perinatal epidemiolology, clinical trials and evidence–based medicine. His 1984 textbook, Perinatal Epidemiology, defined the field of perinatal epidemiology, predicting the role of fetal and early childhood illness on later chronic disease. Dr. Bracken was involved in the discoveries of CFH polymorphism for age–related macular degeneration, the first study to successfully use genome–wide association methodologies and HapMap to identify a disease polymorphism. He is a founder of the evidence–based medicine paradigm. The first randomized trials for evaluating therapies for acute spinal cord injury were designed and directed by Dr. Bracken. He is a consultant for international corporations and government agencies and his government service includes NIH study sections and Council. He presently sits on the NIH Expert Panel on Genes Environment and Health.