Mark Williamson Research

Welcome to the research page for Dr. Mark Williamson.

Overview

Dr. Mark Williamson is a research assistant professor in the Department of Population Health, statistician and core coordinator for the DaCCoTA, and the director of the ROAR Radon Chamber.  His research is focused on 5 areas.

1. Experimental Radon Test Chamber Studies
2. Statistical Designs for Epidemiology
3. Omics, Microbiomes, and Interpretation
4. Epidemiological Taxonomy
5. Technological Applications in Epidemiology

Radon Test Chamber

The UND Experimental Radon Chamber is being designed for radon exposure experiments on cell and animal models.  The chamber will consist of an air-circulation system that carries radon gas from radioactive sources to enclosed cages and then vents to the outside via a fume hood.  It will be built and operated to fulfill the safety and ethics guidelines from both the Office of Safety (radiation, biology, etc.) and via established experimental IACUCs.  In short, the radon chamber will be set up to provide radon exposure environments for a variety of in vitro and in vivo experiments.  The specific setup will depend on the specific experiment, but the general procedure is a closed environment with an adjustable concentration of radon gas. ETC.

The radon chamber is currently under development.  Check back later on the following items.

• Information on submitting a project to the Radon Test Chamber
• Virtual tour of the Radon Test Chamber

Statistical Designs for Epidemiology

• More information coming soon.  In the meantime, check out the various statistical resources Dr. Williamson has created for DaCCoTA.

Omics, Microbiomes, and Interpretation

• Interpretation of -omics data.
• Microbiomes and epidemiology.
• Incorporation of ecological-level concepts into systems biology.
• Soil health, remediation, and human health.Epidemiological Taxonomy

Epidemiological Taxonomy

• Pathogen genomics and phylogeny.
• Copy number variation and distribution.
• Pharmacological targets in diverse taxa.

Technological Applications in Epidemiology

• 3D printing/additive manufacturing and biomedical/epidemiological applications.
• Epidemiology modeling via supercomputers.
• Epidemiology and modular cloud labs.
• Epidemiology and space exploration.
• Low-cost remediation methods for high radon levels.

Current Projects

• Construction of Radon Test Chamber
• Radon and Respiratory Illness

Recent Publications and Presentations

Ma, K., Taylor, C., Williamson, M., Newton, S. S., & Qin, L. (2023). Diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling differentially causes autism-like behavioral deficits in male and female mice.  Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14:1182472.

Schwartz, G. G., Klug, M. G., Williamson, M. R., & Schwartz, H. M. (2022). Criterion Validity of Radon Test Values Reported by a Commercial Laboratory versus the Environmental Protection Agency.  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19.

Ahmed, R., Williamson, M. R., Bahri, S., Hamid, A., & Hamid, M. A. (2022).  Regional and Racial Trends in US Prostate Cancer Screening.  Health Behavior & Policy Review, 9(5): 1063-1073.

Dzananovic, B., Williamson, M. R., Nwaigwe, C., & Routray, C. (2022). Clinical significance of anti-nucleocapsid-IgG sero-positivity in SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients in North Dakota. World Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, 12(2): 50-60.

Schwartz, G. G., & Williamson, M.R. (2021). Lead Service Lines and Parkinson’s Disease Prevalence In U.S. States. Clinical Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 5, 100122.

Schwartz, G. G., & Williamson, M. R. (2021).  Acid Precipitation and the Prevalence of Parkinson’s Disease: An Ecological Study in US States.  Brain Sciences 11 (6), 779.