Retired Assistant Professor Passes Away

Our dear friend and colleague, Julia (“Julie”) Wirth, passed away at age 73 on May 27, 2020 due to ALS.

Julie was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from 2005-2016. During that time she taught graduate and undergraduate courses, mentored graduate students, successfully competed for NIH funding and was an active collaborator in multiple research projects including the Fisheasters Family Health Study, the Breast Cancer in Women of Polish Ancestry Study, the Pregnancy Outcomes and Community Health Study, and the Environment and Child Health Outcomes Study.

Prior to arriving at Michigan State University, Julie received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Arcadia University (1969), a Ph.D. in microbiology from Thomas Jefferson University (1979) and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in immunology at University of Colorado (1981). She joined the Department of Microbiology and Public Health at Michigan State University in 1981, first as a post-doctoral fellow in immunology and then as Research Assistant Professor through 1997. In 1997 she became Project Director of the Fisheaters Family Health Study in the Department of Epidemiology at MSU while pursuing an M.S. in Epidemiology (2002). Julie accepted the position of Senior Environmental Epidemiologist for the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Michigan Department of Community Healthy (MDCH) in 2001 and then in 2005 she rejoined the MSU Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics as an Assistant Professor while continuing projects at MDCH.

Evident from her training, Julie had a passion for science and for applying her knowledge to improve public health. Her intellectual depth in multiple scientific domains gave her the ability to critique methods and merge concepts from diverse studies of infectious diseases, environmental epidemiology, cancer biology and reproductive health. In addition, she brought her inner gift of creativity, which manifested in her scholarly work and later in her ‘life as an artist.’ 

In a blog Julie described her fascination with the interaction between microbes and the host immune system and with the links between health and the gut microbiome. She also posted this prescient comment, “infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat for our personal health and for global health.” True to her generous ways, she added, “my goal for this blog is to answer clearly and simply questions individuals have about microbes, current infectious diseases and the workings of the immune system. “ Working in the area of environmental epidemiology, Julie’s studies ranged from the impact of metals on male infertility to air pollutants’ effects on pregnancy outcomes and asthma. She was among the first to look at phthalate metabolites and semen quality and as principal investigator of an R01 from NIEHS, she investigated the influence of organochlorines on semen quality and male hormones. 

In the classroom Julie was a devoted instructor, always updating materials, encouraging class discussion and broadening inquiry to include historical and current scholarly work. Her graduate students marveled at her expertise across disciplines. With great patience, Julie was adept at breaking down complex biological mechanisms and explaining them in a logical, easier to grasp manner.

Julie’s passion for science was matched by her other passions including fervent support for progressive ideas and social justice and a love of art. In her later years the artistic side of Julie took full flight and she became a prolific painter. She experimented with multiple painting styles but said she was most fond of abstract painting. Her artwork was featured in the Grand Rapids Art Prize competition, where public spaces vie for the opportunity to showcase artist’s works. I recall viewing Julie’s large ‘Inside Out’ piece in 2017 displayed at the Bangkok Taste Cuisine on Jefferson in Grand Rapids.

For many of us, Julie will be remembered not only for her outstanding scholarly work and dedication to public health but also for her gentle soul, collaborative spirit, welcoming smile, humility and caring that infused every encounter with students and peers.  Dr. Claudia Holzman 

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