Overview
William Pan, DrPH, Elizabeth Brooks Reid and Whitelaw Reid Professor of Population Studies and Global Environmental Health, joined the faculty at Duke in 2011. He holds a joint appointment at DGHI and the Nicholas School of Environment, and is Adjunct Professor in the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a biostatistician with expertise in spatial analysis, demography land use science, infectious disease epidemiology and environmental health. He has over 20-years of experience leading large, multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research teams to study the impact of human-environment dynamics influencing human health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). His work is primarily focused in Latin America, particularly the Amazon region. His current research focuses on: (1) studying the health effects of mercury and other chemical exposures from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM); (2) developing tools for forecasting vector-borne disease risk, focusing particularly on the integration and modeling of climate, land use, population and malaria surveillance data; (3) studying the role of migration and social network connectivity influencing infectious disease transmission; (4) understanding the risk of lead exposure among hunters and their families, and to identify solutions to mitigate that risk; and (5) evaluating multi-faceted benefits of nature-based solutions related to agroforestry, climate resilience, livelihoods, and disease mitigation.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Global Environmental Health
·
2024 - Present
Environmental Natural Science,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Research Professor of Global Health
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2024 - Present
Duke Global Health Institute,
University Institutes and Centers
Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Population Research Center
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2010 - Present
Duke Population Research Center,
Duke Population Research Institute
Recent Publications
High exposure variance enables candidate biomarker detection in a small EWAS of methylmercury-exposed Peruvian adults.
Journal Article BMC Genom Data · September 29, 2025 BACKGROUND: Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) are a highly promising approach that can inform precision environmental health. However, current EWAS are underpowered and increasing sample sizes will require substantial resources. Therefore, alternat ... Full text Link to item CiteAge at infection as a key predictor of cyst burden in pigs experimentally infected with Taenia solium.
Journal Article Parasites & vectors · September 2025 BackgroundTaenia solium cysticercosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease with significant public health implications, particularly in endemic regions of low- and middle-income countries. In pigs, cyst burden varies widely, with most harboring fewer t ... Full text CiteImmunity against reinfection in pigs following Taenia solium infection and a quantitative dose-response model.
Journal Article International journal for parasitology · August 2025 Taenia solium is a zoonotic parasite causing significant health and economic burdens, with complex transmission dynamics that demand improved control strategies. This study examines how infection and reinfection affect cyst development in pigs and how acqu ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
2/3 CTSA K12 Program at Duke University
ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030Duke University Program in Environmental Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences · 2019 - 2029Malaria & Migration: Assessing Local Malaria Change near Migrant Communities in Panama
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2028View All Grants