Faculty Profile

Carl Marrs

Carl F. Marrs, PhD

  • Associate Professor Emeritus, Epidemiology

Dr. Carl F. Marrs has been part of the Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology faculty within the department since 1985. In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Marrs has been head of admissions for MPH students in the Epidemiology Department since 1992. Dr. Marrs was an interim director of the Public Health Genetics Interdepartmental Concentration, and is currently a faculty member of the steering committee for the Public Health Genetics Certificate program. Dr. Marrs is also involved in undergraduate education. He serves as a member of the School of Public Health Committee on Undergraduate Education, and advises students in the Undergraduate Concentration in Microbiology, as well as teaching the undergraduate level course, Epid 460. At a university wide level, Dr. Marrs has served at various capacities (including a stint as chair) on the University of Michigan Institutional Biosafety Committee, and he is currently Associate Chair of that committee. Dr. Marrs' primary research expertise is in bacterial pathogenesis and genetics. He is involved in a wide variety of molecular epidemiologic research collaborations as part of the Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (MAC-Epid). These include, but are not limited to, studies on Haemophilus influenzae in both otitis media and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); studies on Escherichia coli in both urinary tract infections and diarrheal disease; studies on Streptococcus agalactiae; Streptococcus mutans; Acinetobacter; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; and the microbiota of the oral and vaginal tracts.

  • PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, 1982
  • BS, Chemistry, University of Washington, 1975

Molecular epidemiology of Group B Streptococcus and Escherichia coli; Virulence related genetic variation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains; Haemophilus influenzae genes associated with acute otitis media and COPD; Transmission dynamics and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli; Antibiotic resistance gene resistance transfer in biofilms; Public health genetics; Molecular epidemiology of oral and vaginal bacteria.

Areas of Expertise: Genetics