Public Health Focus/Interests:
Dr. Wahl has been an epidemiologist specialist for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) since 1998. His areas of focus have been asthma surveillance, the effects of air pollutants on asthma and on adverse birth outcomes, and the health effects of climate change.
Dr. Wahl helped develop the survey instrument and conducted an evaluation for MDHHS’ Health Homes University I, a home-based environmental intervention and education program for families of children with asthma, and he served on its Advisory Board. He also serves on the Advisory Committee for BioWatch, a federal program designed to detect terrorist release of pathogens into the air of major American cities.
In 2013, he was promoted to manager of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Section of the Lifecourse Epidemiology and Genomics Division. His staff includes five epidemiologists working in chronic disease (asthma, diabetes, obesity, disabilities, oral health, and stroke) and cancer genomics.
He has published extensively in scientific publication and has presented before numerous local and national conferences.
Education:
Master of Science, Environmental Health, 1999
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1991
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Master of Science, Veterinary Science, 1988
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Public Health Courses Taught:
HM 806: Environmental Factors of Health
HM 816: Human Risk Assessment and Risk Management in Public Health
Professional Experience/Expertise:
Effects of air pollutant exposures on health
Asthma and air pollution
Chronic disease epidemiology in public health
Professional Activities or Current Research:
Chronic disease epidemiology
In-home case management of asthma
Addressing chronic disease co-morbidities
Recent Publications, Presentations:
Largo TW, Borgialli M, Wisinski CL, Wahl RL, Priem WF. 2011. Healthy Homes University: a home-based environmental intervention and education program for families with pediatric asthma in Michigan. Public Health Rep. May-Jun;126 Suppl 1:14-26.
Li S, Batterman S, Wasilevich E, Wahl R, Wirth J, Su FC, Mukherjee B. 2011. Association of daily asthma emergency department visits and hospital admissions with ambient air pollutants among the pediatric Medicaid population in Detroit: Time-series and time-stratified case-crossover analyses with threshold effects. Environ Res. Nov;111(8):1137-47. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
Le HQ, Batterman SA, Wirth JJ, Wahl RL, Hoggatt KJ, Sadeghnejad A, Hultin ML, Depa M. 2012. Air Pollutant Exposure and Preterm and Term Small-for-Gestational-Age Births in Detroit, Michigan: Long-term Trends and Associations. Environment International, Feb 6 [Epub ahead of print].
Li S, Batterman S, Wasilevich E, Elasaad H, Wahl RL, Mukherjee B. 2011. Asthma exacerbation and proximity of residence to major roads: a population-based matched case-control study among the pediatric Medicaid population in Detroit, Michigan. Environmental Health, 10:34 (23 April).
Professional Website URL:
michigan.gov/chronicepi
