Kenneth J. Rothman, DrPH

Professor, Boston University School of Public Health

Biography

Dr. Rothman has 48 years of professional experience in Epidemiologic research. His research has included work on the epidemiology of cancer, cardiovascular disease, birth defects, environmental epidemiology, pharmaceutical products, and methodological, conceptual and ethical issues in epidemiology. Specific projects have included research on the teratogenicity of vitamin A, the health effects of cellular telephone use, and factors affecting fecundability. Dr. Rothman is the author of two widely used textbooks of epidemiologic methods, Modern Epidemiology and Epidemiology: an Introduction, and is the founding editor of Epidemiology, a leading public-health journal. He received the American Public Health Association’s Abraham Lilienfeld Award for 2002, recognizing excellence in the teaching of epidemiology during the course of a career. He was the recipient of the Society for Epidemiologic Research Career Accomplishment Award in 2017, and an honorary MD degree in 2017 from University of Aarhus, Denmark. He is a Fellow of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, and an honorary fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. Dr. Rothman is also a Distinguished Fellow at RTI International, where he holds the position of Vice President for Epidemiologic Research at RTI Health Solutions.

Publications

  • Published 2/12/2026

    Wesselink AK, Geller RJ, Lovett SM, Nillni YI, Savitz DA, Rothman KJ, Hatch EE, Wise LA. A prospective study of periconceptional perceived stress and rate of miscarriage. Hum Reprod. 2026 Feb 12. PMID: 41677054.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/1/2026

    Coleman CM, Wesselink AK, Yland JJ, Sommer GJ, Eisenberg ML, Bertisch SM, Rothman KJ, Hatch EE, Wise LA. A North American preconception study of sleep health and semen quality. Hum Reprod. 2026 Feb 01; 41(2):275-284. PMID: 41330355.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/9/2025

    Mazzoli R, Filippini T, Iamandii I, De Pasquale L, Veneri F, Birnbaum LS, Rothman KJ, Vinceti M. The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis. Environ Health. 2025 Oct 09; 24(1):73. PMID: 41068882.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/11/2025

    Lovett SM, Sommer GJ, Krivorotko D, Wesselink AK, Rothman KJ, Hatch EE, Eisenberg ML, Wise LA. A prospective study of semen quality and fecundability among North American couples planning pregnancy. Andrology. 2026 Jan; 14(1):184-195. PMID: 40646671.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/3/2025

    Le AD, Zhang CA, Chen AL, Basran S, Seranio N, Scott M, Li S, Hatch EE, Rothman KJ, Wesselink AK, Harlow AF, Wise LA, Eisenberg ML. A Preconception Cohort Study of Nicotine Vaping and Incidence of Spontaneous Abortion. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Jul 03. PMID: 40607772.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 588 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Professor, Medicine
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Websites

Education

  • Harvard University, DPH/DrPH
  • Harvard University, DMD
  • Harvard University, MPH
  • Colgate University, AB

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