Maureen S. Durkin, PhD, DrPH

Position title: Evan and Marion Helfaer Professor of Public Health and Chair, Population Health Sciences and Pediatrics

PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
DrPH, MPH, Columbia University
Co-Core Director, Clinical Translation Core

Contact Information

Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Room S101E
Madison, WI 53705
608.263.2128
mdurkin@wisc.edu
Websites: Wisconsin SEED and WISADDS

Research Statement

Maureen Durkin is an epidemiologist, Waisman Center investigator, Professor of Population Health Sciences and Pediatrics, and Affiliate of the Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute and the Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include the epidemiology, prevention, antecedents and consequences of neurodevelopmental disabilities and childhood injuries, both globally and within the United States. She has collaborated in the development of cross-cultural methods for screening for developmental disabilities and methods for surveillance of childhood injuries, and has directed international studies of the prevalence and causes of neurodevelopmental disabilities in low income countries. She has also directed a cohort study of neuropsychological outcomes of neonatal brain injuries associated with preterm birth, and is currently a principal investigator on the Wisconsin Surveillance of Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities System, the National Childrens Study Waukesha County Vanguard Center, and a study of neurodevelopmental outcomes of 2-Methylbutyryl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency detected in newborn screening.

Selected Publications

Mailick, M., Bennett, T., DaWalt, L. S., Durkin, M. S., Forbes, G., Howlin, P., Lord, C., Zaidman-Zait, A., Zwaigenbaum, L., Bal, V., Bishop, S., Chiang, C. H., DiMartino, A., Freitag, C. M., Georgiades, S., Hollocks, M., Lai, M. C., Maenner, M. J., Powell, P. S., Taylor, J. L., … Halladay, A. (2025). Expanding research on contextual factors in autism research: What took us so long?. Autism Research, 10.1002/aur.3312. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3312
Furnier, S. M., Gangnon, R., Daniels, J. L., Ellis Weismer, S., Nadler, C., Pazol, K., Reyes, N. M., Rosenberg, S., Rubenstein, E., Wiggins, L. D., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., & Durkin, M. S. (2024). Racial and ethnic disparities in the co-occurrence of intellectual disability and autism: Impact of incorporating measures of adaptive functioning. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 17(3), 650–667. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3107
Pokoski, O. M., Crain, H., DiGuiseppi, C., Furnier, S. M., Moody, E. J., Nadler, C., Pazol, K., Sanders, J., Wiggins, L. D., & Durkin, M. S. (2024). Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Frontiers in psychiatry, 15, 1342504. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1342504
Hughes, M. M., Shaw, K. A., Patrick, M. E., DiRienzo, M., Bakian, A. V., Bilder, D. A., Durkin, M. S., Hudson, A., Spivey, M. H., DaWalt, L. S., Salinas, A., Schwenk, Y. D., Lopez, M., Baroud, T. M., & Maenner, M. J. (2023). Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic Patterns, Co-occurring Conditions, and Transition Planning. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 73(2), 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.12.010
Rubenstein, E., Ehrenthal, D. B., Nobles, J., Mallinson, D. C., Bishop, L., Jenkins, M. C., Kuo, H. H., & Durkin, M. S. (2022). Fertility rates in women with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Wisconsin Medicaid. Disability and health journal, 15(3), 101321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101321
Elsabbagh, M., Yusuf, A., Zeidan, J., Scorah, J., Fombonne, E., Durkin, M. S., Saxena, S., & Shih, A. (2022). The time has come for living systematic reviews in autism research. Autism Research, 15(7), 1187–1188. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2739
Zeidan, J., Fombonne, E., Scorah, J., Ibrahim, A., Durkin, M. S., Saxena, S., Yusuf, A., Shih, A., & Elsabbagh, M. (2022). Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 15(5), 778–790. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2696
Rubenstein, E., Ehrenthal, D. B., Mallinson, D. C., Bishop, L., Kuo, H. H., & Durkin, M. S. (2021). Birth outcomes affecting infants of mothers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 35(6), 706–716. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppe.12765
Ellis Weismer, S., Tomblin, J. B., Durkin, M. S., Bolt, D., & Palta, M. (2021). A preliminary epidemiologic study of social (pragmatic) communication disorder in the context of developmental language disorder. International journal of language & communication disorders, 56(6), 1235–1248. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12664
Ellis Weismer, S., Rubenstein, E., Wiggins, L., & Durkin, M. S. (2021). A Preliminary Epidemiologic Study of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder Relative to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disability Without Social Communication Deficits. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 51(8), 2686–2696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04737-4
Rubenstein, E., Ehrenthal, D. B., Mallinson, D. C., Bishop, L., Kuo, H. H., & Durkin, M. (2020). Pregnancy complications and maternal birth outcomes in women with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Wisconsin Medicaid. PloS one, 15(10), e0241298. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241298
Furnier, S. M., Durkin, M. S., & Baker, M. W. (2020). Translating Molecular Technologies into Routine Newborn Screening Practice. International journal of neonatal screening, 6(4), 80. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns6040080
Durkin MS. (2019). Increasing Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities Among Children in the US: A Sign of Progress? Pediatrics, 144(4). pii: e20192005. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2005.
Magnusson D, Palta M, McManus B, Benedict RE, Durkin MS. (2016) Capturing Unmet Therapy Need Among Young Children With Developmental Delay Using National Survey Data. Academic Pediatrics, 16(2):145-53. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.05.003.
Christensen DL, Bilder DA, Zahorodny W, Pettygrove S, Durkin MS, Fitzgerald RT, Rice C, Kurzius-Spencer M, Baio J, Yeargin-Allsopp M. (2016) Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among 4-Year-Old Children in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 37(1):1-8. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000235.
Schieve LA, Clayton HB, Durkin MS, Wingate MS, Drews-Botsch C. (2015) Comparison of Perinatal Risk Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID), and Co-occurring ASD and ID. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 45(8):2361-72. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2402-0.
Durkin MS, DuBois LA, Maenner MJ. (2015) Inter-Pregnancy Intervals and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results of a Population-Based Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 45(7):2056-66. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2368-y.
Durkin MS, Maenner MJ, Benedict RE, Van Naarden Braun K, Christensen D, Kirby RS, Wingate M, Yeargin-Allsopp M. (2015) The role of socio-economic status and perinatal factors in racial disparities in the risk of cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 57(9):835-43. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.12746.
Christensen D, Van Naarden Braun K, Doernberg NS, Maenner MJ, Arneson CL, Durkin MS, Benedict RE, Kirby RS, Wingate MS, Fitzgerald R, Yeargin-Allsopp M. (2014) Prevalence of cerebral palsy, co-occurring autism spectrum disorders, and motor functioning – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, USA, 2008. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 56(1):59-65.
Durkin MS, Bilder DA, Pettygrove S, Zahorodny W. (2014) The validity and usefulness of public health surveillance of autism spectrum disorder. Autism. 19(1):118-9. doi: 10.1177/1362361314548732.
Maenner MJ, Rice CE, Arneson CL, Cunniff C, Schieve LA, Carpenter LA, Van Naarden Braun K, Kirby RS, Bakian AV, Durkin MS. (2014) Potential impact of DSM-5 criteria on autism spectrum disorder prevalence estimates. JAMA Psychiatry. 71(3):292-300.
Van Naarden Braun K, Maenner MJ, Christensen D, Doernberg NS, Durkin MS, Kirby RS, Yeargin-Allsopp M. (2013) The role of migration and choice of denominator on the prevalence of cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 55(6):520-6.
Riesch SK, Ngui EM, Ehlert C, Miller MK, Cronk CA, Leuthner S, Strehlow M, Hewitt JB, Durkin MS. (2013) Community outreach and engagement strategies from the Wisconsin Study Center of the National Children’s Study. Public Health Nursing. 30(3):254-65.
Maenner MJ, Schieve LA, Rice CE, Cunniff C, Giarelli E, Kirby RS, Lee LC, Nicholas JS, Wingate MS, Durkin MS. (2013) Frequency and pattern of documented diagnostic features and the age of autism identification. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 52(4):401-413.
Van Calcar SC, Baker MW, Williams P, Jones SA, Xiong B, Thao MC, Lee S, Yang MK, Rice GM, Rhead W, Vockley J, Hoffman G, Durkin MS. (2013) Prevalence and mutation analysis of short/branched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SBCADD) detected on newborn screening in Wisconsin. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism. S1096-7192(13)00136-4.
Maenner MJ, Benedict RE, Arneson CL, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Wingate MS, Kirby RS, Van Naarden Braun K, Durkin MS. (2012) Children with cerebral palsy: racial disparities in functional limitations. Epidemiology, 23(1):35-43.
Maenner MJ, Arneson CL, Levy SE, Kirby RS, Nicholas JS, Durkin MS. (2011) Brief Report: Association Between Behavioral Features and Gastrointestinal Problems Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Oct 20.
Kirby RS, Wingate MS, Van Naarden Braun K, Doernberg NS, Arneson CL, Benedict RE, Mulvihill B, Durkin MS, Fitzgerald RT, Maenner MJ, Patz JA, Yeargin-Allsopp M. (2011) Prevalence and functioning of children with cerebral palsy in four areas of the United States in 2006: a report from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(2):462-9.
Maenner MJ, Durkin MS. (2010) Trends in the prevalence of autism on the basis of special education data. Pediatrics. Nov;126(5):e1018-25.
Durkin MS, Maenner MJ, Meaney FJ, Levy SE, DiGuiseppi C, Nicholas JS, Kirby RS, Pinto-Martin JA, Schieve LA. (2010) Socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a U.S. cross-sectional study. PLoS One. Jul 12;5(7):e11551.