Education:

Ph.D., Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health (2006)

Inter-Disciplinary Certificate in Spatial Analysis, University of Michigan (2003)

M.S., Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health (2001)

B.A., Neuroscience, Oberlin College (1996)    

Research Interests and Experience:

Dr. Meliker's research contributes to the fields of exposure science, GIScience, health geography, and environmental epidemiology by developing methodologies for integrating sources of spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal variability in environmental health applications.  Prior to joining Stony Brook, he worked as a Research Scientist at BioMedware, Inc., a small research firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan pioneering the development of spatio-temporal software and statistical algorithms for addressing public health concerns.  

Contact:

Please contact me if you are interested in working with me for PhD or post-doctoral experience. jrmeliker@gmail.com

Selected Publications:

MelikerJR, Maio RF, Zimmerman MA, Kim HM, Smith SC, Wilson ML (2004) Spatial analysis of alcohol-related motor vehicle crash injuries in southeastern Michigan. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 36: 1129-1135.

AvRuskin GA, Jacquez GM, Meliker JR, Slotnick MJ, Kaufmann AM, Nriagu JO (2004) Visualization and exploratory analysis of epidemiologic data using a novel space time information system. International Journal of Health Geographics, 3: 26.

Meliker JR, Slotnick MJ, AvRuskin GA, Kaufmann A, Jacquez GM, Nriagu JO (2005) Improving exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology: Application of spatio-temporal visualization tools. Journal of Geographic Systems, 7: 49-66.

Goovaerts P, AvRuskin G, Meliker J, Slotnick M, Jacquez G, Nriagu J (2005) Geostatistical modeling of the spatial variability of arsenic in groundwater of southeast Michigan. Water Resources Research, 41: W07013.

Meliker JR, Franzblau A, Slotnick MJ, Nriagu JO (2006) Major Contributors to Inorganic Arsenic Intake in Southeastern Michigan.  International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 209: 399-411.

Jacquez GM, Meliker JR, AvRuskin GA, Goovaerts P, Kaufmann A, Wilson M, Nriagu J (2006) Case-control geographic clustering for residential histories accounting for risk factors and covariates. International Journal of Health Geographics, 5: 32.

Slotnick MJ, Meliker JR, Nriagu JO (2006) Effects of Time and Point-of-Use Devices on Arsenic Levels in Southeastern Michigan Drinking Water, USA. Science of the Total Environment, 369: 42-50.

Meliker JR, Slotnick MJ, AvRuskin GA, Kaufmann A, Fedewa SA, Goovaerts P, Jacquez GM, Nriagu JO (2007) Individual lifetime exposure to inorganic arsenic using a Space-Time Information System.  International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 80: 184-197.

Meliker JR, Wahl RL, Cameron L, Nriagu JO (2007) Arsenic in drinking water and cerebrovascular disease, chronic airways obstruction, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease in Michigan: a standardized mortality ratio analysis. Environmental Health, 6: 4.

Slotnick MJ, Meliker JR, AvRuskin GA, Ghopsh D, Nriagu JO (2007) Toenails as a biomarker of inorganic arsenic intake from drinking water and select foods.  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health - Part A, 70: 148-158.

Meliker JR, Jacquez GM (2007) Space-time clustering of case-control data with residential histories:Insights into empirical induction periods, age-specific susceptibility, and calendar year-specific effects. Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment, 21, 625-634. {Special Issue on "Medical Geography as a Science of Interdisciplinary Knowledge Synthesis under Conditions of Uncertainty."}

Meliker JR, Nriagu JO (2007) "Arsenic in drinking water and bladder cancer: Review of epidemiological evidence." Arsenic in Soil and Groundwater: Biogeochemical Interactions.  Eds. P. Bhattacharya, A.B. Mukherjee, R. Zeevenhoven, and R.H. Loeppert. Elsevier B.V.

Jacquez GM, Meliker J, Kaufmann A (2007) In search of induction and latency periods: Tests for space-time interaction and clustering accounting for residential mobility, known risk factors and covariates. International Journal of Health Geographics, 6:35.

Meliker JR, AvRuskin GA, Slotnick MJ, Goovaerts P, Schottenfeld D, Jacquez GM, Nriagu JO (2008). Validity of spatial models of arsenic concentrations in private well water. Environmental Research, 106: 42-50.

Slotnick MJ, Meliker JR, Nriagu JO (2008). Intra-individual variability in toenail arsenic measurements in a Michigan, USA population. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 18:149-157.

*Avruskin GA, Meliker JR, Jacquez GM (2008). Using satellite derived land cover information for multi – temporal validation of self-reported recall of proximity to farmland. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology 18: 381-391.

Meliker JR (2008). “Reconstructing individual-level exposure to environmental contaminants using Time-GIS.” Understanding Dynamics of Geographic Domains. Eds. K. Hornsby, M. Yuan. Taylor & Francis CRC Press. 75-91.

*Gallagher CM, Kovach JS, Meliker JR (2008). Urinary cadmium and osteoporosis in U.S. women age 50-85, NHANES 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Environmental Health Perspectives 116: 1338-1343.

Slotnick MJ, Meliker JR, Kannan S, Nriagu JO (2008). Effects of nutritional measures on toenail arsenic concentration as a biomarker of arsenic exposure. Biomarkers 13: 451-466.

Jacquez GM, Meliker JR (2009). “Case-control clustering for mobile populations.” pp 321-339. The SAGE Handbook of Spatial Analysis. Eds. S. Fotheringham and P. Rogerson. Sage Publications.

Meliker JR, Jacquez GM, Goovaerts P, AvRuskin GA, Copeland G (2009). Breast and prostate cancer survival in Michigan: Can geographic analyses assist in understanding racial disparities? Cancer 115: 2212-2221.

Maxwell SK, Meliker JR, Goovaerts P (In Press). Use of land surface remotely sensed satellite and airborne data for environmental exposure assessment in cancer research. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

Meliker JR, Jacquez GM, Goovaerts P, Copeland G, Yassine M (In Press). Spatial cluster analysis of early stage breast cancer: A method for public health practice using cancer registry data. Cancer Causes and Control.

*Kobrosly RW, Meliker JR, Nriagu JO (In Press). Automobile industry occupations and bladder cancer: A population-based case-control study in southeastern Michigan, USA. Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

*Gallagher CM, Goovaerts P, Jacquez GM, Hao Y, Jemal A, Meliker JR (In Press). Racial disparities in lung cancer mortality in U.S. congressional districts, 1990-2001. Spatial & Spatio-temporal Epidemiology.

*Research/Student Assistant