Matthew Mauer, D.O., M.P.H.’97

Research Driven

By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93

The serious, often debilitating health problems experienced by many of the surviving first responders to the World Trade Center disaster. The effectiveness of Lyme disease vaccination among at-risk workers. The long-term health impacts of exposure to disaster sites.

These are just some of the topics Matthew Mauer has studied and written about in his role as medical director of the Division of Environmental Health Assessment in the Center for Environmental Health, part of the New York State Department of Health.

“I really enjoy the publishing aspect of my job – sharing information that could potentially impact large populations of people,” Mauer said.

Mauer, a doctor of osteopathy who earned his master’s degree from UAlbany’s School of Public Health, is currently an assistant professor there.

Having published numerous articles on the lingering health problems of 9/11 first responders, Mauer is considered one of the foremost experts on the topic. His work is just one example of how a medical researcher has to follow the data.

“In the field of public health, you have to be adaptable,” said Mauer. “The World Trade Center disaster was unexpected and tragic, yet it shaped my career for the next decade of my life.”