Associate Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology Clareann H. Bunker, whose research abroad brought not only knowledge but also treatments to those countries — “a trailblazer in advancing epidemiologic research across the globe,” as her department hailed her recently —died Nov. 20, 2024.
A celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. May 26, 2025, at the Hulls Cove Schoolhouse in Bar Harbor, Maine, a city that Bunker also called home.
“Clare was a brilliant epidemiologist, an equally brilliant teacher and a wonderful person,” said Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology Anne Newman, who was chair of epidemiology (2010-2022) at the end of Bunker’s career and worked several times with Bunker overseas. “She identified and pursued the important problem of high rates of prostate cancer in Tobago, not only searching for risk factors but also educating the public about it and getting surgical care for men who needed it.
“She later started a birth cohort in India, setting up the foundation for others to build on the data and biologic specimens and to follow up the study participants. She led research training for the faculty at MediCiti in Hyderabad, securing funding through the National Institutes of Health’s Fogarty program and hosting many faculty to come to the U.S. to take epidemiology courses and work on research projects. Her lectures were clear and pragmatic, engaging students in solving real-world problems.”
Newman remembered Bunker as “so adventurous, traveling to Africa and India by herself, so curious about world health and so generous with efforts to expand expertise to local faculty.”
Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology Jane Cauley was a Ph.D. student here alongside Bunker and joined the faculty a year earlier. “Clare had so much humility,” Cauley said. “She never really wanted to be the star, even though she was.” Cauley, who researches osteoporosis, said Bunker added bone density studies to her own work in Nigeria after discussing the issue here. “I didn’t go to Nigeria, but she did and she got it done,” Cauley said.
“She was a gentle spirit,” Cauley added. “She related very well to students and she did it with such joy. She infused humor into her teaching.”
P.S. Reddy, professor of medicine, praised Bunker’s “long, persuasive work in training faculty in global health. Dr. Bunker has been a cornerstone in advancing research capacity building at SHARE INDIA and MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad. Her mild-mannered, soft-spoken, humble personality impressed all the trainees irrespective of their age and stage in life. Her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to nurturing talent have left an indelible mark on the individuals she mentored and the institutions she served.”
He noted her acquisition of a grant that created training programs there, which “had a profound impact, with over 200 trainees. … The mentees nurtured by Dr. Bunker continue to make significant contributions to global public health.”
He also lauded her creation of the Longitudinal Indian Family Health Study (LIFE Study) at Hyderabad that, for the last 20 years, “has provided opportunities for scholars to complete doctoral and postdoctoral research both in India and abroad. Additionally, the study has contributed data for national-level analyses in India, supporting the development of estimates for anemia in pregnancy and stillbirths.
“Dr. Bunker’s transformative leadership and tireless commitment to research capacity building have left a lasting legacy,” he added. “Her contributions continue to empower researchers and enhance public health outcomes in India and beyond.”
Born Dec. 6, 1939, in Columbus, Ohio, Bunker earned her bachelor of arts degree in zoology from Wellesley College in 1961, her master’s degree in public health in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins in 1980 and her doctoral degree in epidemiology from Pitt in 1984.
She joined the Pitt faculty soon after and continued teaching here until 2016. Her first research in Benin City, Nigeria, brought increased understanding of cardiac risk factors and prevention methods there, while her Tobago work eventually expanded to include women and issues of skeletal, metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive health. Bunker’s work as principal investigator on a Fogarty International Center grant helped Indian researchers adopt computational modeling tools.
Her mentees were many: She led 15 Ph.D. committees and was the primary advisor for 14 master’s degree students at Pitt, while also training students in Nigeria, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, and India. Her honors include induction into Delta Omega (the Public Health Honor Society), a Distinguished Alumni award from Pitt and a special commendation for her research excellence from the Caribbean Public Health Agency.
She received funding for her studies from the National Cancer Institute, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and Department of Defense, publishing more than 180 scientific papers in leading medical journals.
Her earliest work took her to Bar Harbor, Maine, as a professional research assistant at the Jackson Laboratory there. She was founding executive director of the Maine Center for Human Genetics, providing genetic counseling services from 1974 until 1981.
She is survived by children Ann Durost and son-in-law Paul; Daniel Bunker and daughter-in-law Deborah Elman; and Andrew Barney Bunker and daughter-in-law Jen Leithauser; grandchildren Amy Sylvester and her husband Alexander; Nathan Sylvester and his wife Madelyn Brackett; Mason Bunker and his partner Ben Schmandt; and Jordan and Jack Bunker; great-grandchildren Ronan and Quinn Sylvester; brothers Frank Hess and sister-in-law Nancy; John Hess and sister-in-law Carol; and Jay Hess.
Memorial gifts are suggested to Peoples’ Symphony Concerts in New York City (www.pscny.org/clareann).
— Marty Levine