Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
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Biography

Dr. Mason was commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service in 1967, and served his first tour at the CDC ( 1967-1969 ). He was attached to the Community Pesticides Program. This was Dr. Mason’s introduction to Environmental Medicine and Toxicology. He served Intermittent Tours of Active Duty at the rank of CAPT ( O-6) from 1987 – 2001 at the NCI/NIH, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and post 9/11 was activated to serve at the CDC, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ( 2001 - 2010 ). Over these 40 plus years, Dr. Mason has come to be recognized internationally in his chosen field of Environmental Epidemiology. He led the team at the National Cancer Institute which published our nation’s first ‘Atlas of Cancer Mortality for U.S. Counties’. This contribution to our understanding of the role that environmental exposures/contaminants play in disease prompted a number of countries worldwide to pursue research to determine ‘local determinants’ of disease(s). He has served, and continues to serve on scientific advisory boards addressing environmental concerns. He served as the Chairperson of the Merit Review for Epidemiology Subcommittee for the Department of Veterans Affairs from 1997 – 2002. He also holds Joint Professorships in the USF College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Divisions of Medical Ethics and Humanities and Global Emergency Medical Sciences. Prior to joining the graduate faculty at USF in 1993, Dr. Mason held academic appointments as Adjunct Professor: at Georgetown University: School of Medicine; Thomas Jefferson University Medical College: Environmental Medicine and Toxicology; Temple University School of Medicine: Family Medicine and Community Health; and, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: Clinical Epidemiology Dr. Mason was the Co-Director of the Homeland Security for Medical Executives Course ( HLSMEC ) in partnership with the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute (2004 – 2007). This course was designed to train senior medical officers (O4 – O6) for Command and Senior Staff positions, as well as civilian executive medical managers, in support of the National Response Plan (NRP)/ National Response Framework (NRF). Between 15 March and 15 August of 2002 he led the team which: developed Florida’s preparedness plan; addressed a statewide laboratory capacity strategic assessment, which included surge capacity; and developed a ‘template’ for Florida’s Smallpox Preparedness Plans. Dr. Mason was appointed to the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board/ Defense Health Board effective September 2006. He served from 2006 – December 2010. He has been selected to serve as a Public Member of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Disaster Medicine. In 2008 he was invited to join the Interstate Chemical Terrorism/ Threats Workgroup. He also serves as an Associate Dean of the International Center for Pre-hospital and Disaster Medicine. His most recent appointment is to serve on the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies’ Committee on Development of a Consensus Definition for Chronic Multisymptom Illness in 1990-1991 Gulf War Veterans ( 2013 – 2014  Dr. Mason serves as a member of the Aerospace Medicine Residency Advisory Committee, Naval Operational Medicine Institute, Naval Air Station Pensacola, as well as a member of the Science Advisory Board, Robert E. Mitchell Center for Prisoner of War Studies. He was recently appointed as a Senior Scientific Advisor to the Joint Forces Command, Joint Center for Operational Analysis. He has served as a Member of the Public Private Outreach Working Group, USCENTCOM. Dr. Mason has held appointments at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology as a Visiting Scientist, as well as, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University. One of his professional goals is to expand the University of South Florida’s education and training programs for the Uniformed Services. To this end he has trained officers from the tri-services at both the Master’s and Doctoral level

Research Interest

Dr. Mason research interests include Defined population surveillance systems, Evidence-based Clinical Decision Making, Disaster Management – Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Biochemical/Molecular Epidemiology and Bioengineering

Geographically determined risks for cancer and other chronic diseases. Lung and bladder cancer etiologies. Computer applications in epidemiology. Screening for bladder cancer within occupational cohorts.

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