Kenneth J. Rothman (born November 2, 1945) is an American epidemiologist. He is a professor of epidemiology at the
Boston University School of Public Health
Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) is one of the graduate schools of Boston University. Founded in 1976, the School offers master's- and doctoral-level programs in public health. It is located in the heart of Boston University's Me ...
, as well as a Distinguished Fellow at
RTI International
Research Triangle Institute, trading as RTI International, is a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. RTI provides research and technical services. It was founded in 1958 with $500,000 in funding f ...
, where he is Vice President for Epidemiologic Research at RTI Health Solutions.
Education
Rothman earned his Dr.P.H. and his M.P.H. degrees from the
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. The school grew out of the Harvard-MIT School for Health Officers, the nation's first ...
and his D.D.M. degree from the
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) is the dental school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to the DMD degree, HSDM offers specialty training programs, advanced trainin ...
.
Work
Rothman is known for his work on, and teaching about, epidemiologic research methodology, as well as multiple specific epidemiologic subjects, including the teratogenic effects of
vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably bet ...
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. He is also the author of two widely used epidemiology textbooks. In 1990, he wrote a controversial article arguing that it might not be worth epidemiologists' time for them to investigate most
cancer cluster
A cancer cluster is a disease cluster in which a high number of cancer cases occurs in a group of people in a particular geographic area over a limited period of time.American Public Health Association’s Abraham Lilienfeld Award for 2002, recognizing excellence in the teaching of epidemiology during the course of a career. He is also a Fellow of the
International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology The International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) is a society focused on the practice of pharmacoepidemiology.
The society was launched officially by Stanley A. Edlavitch, David E. Lilienfeld, and Hugh A. Tilson in 1989 during the Fifth In ...
, the past president of the
Society for Epidemiologic Research
The Society for Epidemiologic Research (abbreviated SER) is a learned society dedicated to epidemiology. It was originally proposed in 1967 by Abraham Lilienfeld, Milton Terris, and Brian MacMahon, and was founded the following year. Their motiva ...
, and an honorary fellow of the
American College of Epidemiology
The American College of Epidemiology (ACE) is an American organization incorporated in 1979 to support and promote the work of American epidemiologists. It is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Members of the American College of Epidemiology are p ...
. In 2002 the journal Epidemiology renamed its annual prize the "Kenneth Rothman Epidemiology Prize".
Editorial activities
In 1990, Rothman founded the journal ''
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
'', and subsequently served as its founding editor until 2001.