Mary Jo Pugh

Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She serves as an investigator at the Informatics, Decision-Enhancement and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation (IDEAS COIN) and the VA Salt Lake City, where she leads the COIN focus area dedicated to identifying and mitigating health risks in Veterans across periods of vulnerability.

Dr. Pugh's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nursing from the College of Saint Scholastica, a master's degree in Education from Boston University, and master's and doctoral degrees in Psychology from the Catholic University of America. Her unique career path began with service as an Air Force nurse, followed by medical retirement and pursuit of advanced academic credentials.

Dr. Pugh has developed an extensive epidemiological research program focused on examining the long-term sequelae and outcomes of military exposures. Her work spans multiple critical areas:

• Epidemiology of Trauma and Chronic Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
• Phenotypes of Multimorbidity and Neuroepidemiology
• Epilepsy Outcomes Research and Quality of Care
• Health Services Research and Instrument Development

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on veteran health outcomes, particularly examining social determinants of health, epilepsy following traumatic brain injury, and the relationship between military exposures and long-term health consequences. Her work increasingly incorporates advanced data science methods including deep learning models to identify optimal treatment pathways for specific phenotypes.

Dr. Pugh is the author or co-author of over 275 peer-reviewed publications. Her research program is robustly funded by VA Health Services Research and Development, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health. She serves as chair for the HSR&D career development award panel and regularly reviews for major funding agencies.

Dr. Pugh leads significant research initiatives including the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium (LIMBIC) and the Military Injuries: Understanding Post-Traumatic Epilepsy (MINUTE) Study, which investigate relationships among traumatic brain injury history, epilepsy, and quality of life in veterans. Her work bridges epidemiology, clinical care, and health services research to improve outcomes for military service members and veterans.