Marilyn O. Ruiz
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathobiology
Director, GIS and Spatial Analysis Laboratory
Professional Interests: My primary research interest is in the spatial aspects of diseases and the environment. I use geographic information systems (GIS), digital cartography and statistical methods to better measure where and when an event occurred in order to better understand why. This understanding leads to spatially-enabled models of potential outcomes given specified conditions at different places. We can learn, for example, what characterizes the soils, vegetation, and land use associated with disease vectors or with changes in amphibian or other animal populations. In addition, considering the spatial context for a disease outbreak can reveal what water sources are nearby, the direction of prevailing winds, and relative locations of the cases. I am also involved with development of visualization techniques to understand the spatial and temporal relationships found in ecological studies. An additional interest is in issues of enterprise-wide GIS implementation, especially in a public health context, and the development of decision support tools that help link science to informed public policy. This includes work on the organizational aspects of technology adoption, improving user interfaces for spatial data access, and data visualization methods.
Courses:
Spatial Epidemiology – Offered Spring 2010
CHLH/GEOG/PATH 560Geographic Methods for Health – Offered Spring 2010
PATH 594Health Applications of GIS – Offered in Fall 2010 or Spring 2011 TBD
CHLH/GEOG/PATH 439
Selected Publications (complete CV):
Ruiz, M.O. 2005. Geocoded Photography. Geospatial Solutions, 15 (5):37-40.
Ruiz, M.O. and D. Remmert. 2004. A Local Department of Public Health and the Geospatial Data Infrastructure. Journal of Medical Systems, 28 (4):385-395.
Ruiz, M.O., C. Tedesco, T. McTighe, and U. Kitron. 2004. Environmental and Social Determinants of Human Risk for West Nile Virus in the Chicago Region, 2002. 3:8 (April 20, 2004) International Journal of Health Geographics. On-line at http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/3/1/8.
Reeder A.L., M.O. Ruiz, A. Pessier, L.E. Brown, J.M. Levengood, C.A. Phillips, M.B. Wheeler, R.E. Warner, and V.R. Beasley. 2005. Intersexuality and the Cricket Frog Decline: Historic and Geographic Trends. Environ Health Perspect, 113(3):261-65.
Ruiz, M.O. , E.D. Walker, E.S. Foster, L.D. Haramis, U.D. Kitron. 2007. Association of West Nile virus illness and urban landscapes in Chicago and Detroit. International Journal of Health Geographics, 6:10.
Hamer, G.L., E.D. Walker, J.D.Brawn, S.R.Loss, M. O. Ruiz, T.L.Goldberg, A.M. Schothoefer, W.M. Brown, E. Wheeler, U.D. Kitron. 2007. Rapid amplification of West Nile virus: the role of hatch year birds. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 8(1):57-68 Doi: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0123.
Hamer, G.L., U.D. Kitron, J..D. Brawn, S.R. Loss, M. O. Ruiz, T.L. Goldberg, E.D. Walker. 2008. Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae): a bridge vector of West Nile virus to humans. Journal of Medical Entomology, 45(1):125-128.
Bertolotti, L., U.D. Kitron, E.D. Walker, M.O. Ruiz, J.D. Brawn, S.R. Loss, G.L. Hamer, T.L. Goldberg. 2008. Fine-scale genetic variation and evolution of West Nile virus in a transmission “hot spot” in suburban Chicago, USA. Virology, May 10;374(2):381-9
Kelly, A., N. Mateus-Pinilla, J. Diffendorfer, E. Jewell, M. Ruiz, J. Killefer, P. Shelton, T. Beissel, J. Novakofski. 2008. Prion sequence polymorphisms and Chronic Wasting Disease resistance in Illinois White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Prion 2 (1) Print ISSN 1933-6896; Online ISSN 1933-690X
Loss, S.R., G.L. Hamer, E.D. Walker, M.O.Ruiz, T.L. Goldberg, U.D. Kitron, J.D. Brawn. 2009. Avian host community structure and prevalence of West Nile virus in Chicago, Illinois. Oecologia, 159(2);415-424.
Loss, S. R., G.L. Hamer, T.L. Goldberg, M.O. Ruiz, U.D. Kitron, E. D. Walker, J.D. Brawn. 2009. Nestling passerines are not major hosts for West Nile virus in Chicago, Illinois. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 9(1):13-18.
Wrobel, L, J.K. Whittington, C. Pujol, S-H. Oh, M.O. Ruiz, M.A. Pfaller, D.J. Diekema, D.R. Soll, L.L. Hoyer. 2008. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a geographically and temporally matched collection of Candida albicans isolates from humans and non-migratory wildlife in Central Illinois. Eukaryotic Cell, 7(9):1475-1486.
Hamer, G.L., U.D. Kitron, T.L. Goldberg, J.D. Brawn, S.R. Loss, M.O. Ruiz, D.B. Hayes, E.D. Walker. 2009. Host selection by Culex pipiens and West Nile virus amplification. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 80(2):268-78.
Loss, S.R., M.O. Ruiz, J.D. Brawn.2009. Relationships between avian diversity, neighborhood age, income, and environmental characteristics of an urban landscape. Biological Conservation, 142(11):2578-2585.
