Interview of Dr. Betz Halloran

Betz Halloran, from Mathematics to Ebola

By Graciela Matrajt

“I wanted to be a field doctor and be able to travel to Africa to take care of patients during an epidemic. So I learned to fly.” Elizabeth “Betz” Halloran, a Mathematician, MD, PhD, and pilot, is also an elegant woman who holds a multitude of mysteries that inspired me to write about her. And I am not the first to feel that intrigue, given that Betz was featured Power Woman in Vogue. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t be intrigued by this woman’s unprecedented career and the amazing experiences she has accumulated throughout her life?

A gifted student, Betz began college when she was only sixteen years old. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general sciences with a strong focus on math and physics. From her early student years, Betz planned on becoming a mathematician. She was particularly attracted to mathematical logic and would have entered the Philosophy of Mathematics program at Case Western University, where she was admitted, had it not been for the influence of some friends who were studying medicine. 

Before entering graduate school in the late sixties, Betz went on a journey to discover the world. She made a stop in San Francisco where she rubbed shoulders with medical students. That trip strongly influenced Betz to return to school and take pre-med courses. Betz wanted to improve the world and to actively assist during epidemics and humanitarian crises. Toward that end, she got her pilot’s license so that she would be able to fly to Africa and work alongside the Flying Doctors organization. 

Betz also wanted to learn German. While in college, she had done research in a lab whose advisor had colleagues in Germany. He introduced Betz to one of his fellow researchers and she departed for Berlin in 1973. Originally, Betz’s plan was to stay one year and take German classes while doing research, but she loved Europe and stayed for eleven years. She transferred to a medical (MD) program, became politically active, and married a German physician. 

Around this time, Betz discovered the field of infectious diseases and, instead of travelling to Africa, she spent three months in Hamburg enrolled in a tropical diseases program. After its completion, Betz moved back to the US and enrolled in a Master of Public Health (MPH) program with a focus on tropical health at the Harvard School of Public Health. At Harvard, her research involved creating mathematical models of malaria and other infectious diseases. After completing the MPH, Betz and her husband found residency jobs in New York City. Unfortunately, due to the McCarran Internal Security Act, Betz’s husband was denied entry into the US. So she remained in the US and her husband stayed in Germany, which marked the end of their marriage. 

Betz ended up postponing her residency when she became more interested in mathematical modeling and wanted to apply her mathematical background to health problems. She enrolled in a Doctor of Science program at the Harvard School of Public Health, where her research focused on population science and biostatistics related to malaria and other tropical diseases. This was in the mid-eighties and there was a lot of excitement around infectious diseases, given that the completion of projects to obtain a malaria vaccine seemed very close.

In 1989, after obtaining her doctorate, Betz joined Emory University in Atlanta as an assistant professor and built a research group with Ira Longini. Betz remained in Atlanta for sixteen years, where her career blossomed. Although she became a full professor, she faced gender discrimination on multiple occasions. This lack of support pushed her to relocate, and Professor Longini followed her. They got an offer from the University of Washington (UW) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where they moved as a team in 2005. Betz joined the Department of Biostatistics at UW and started a research group focused on the statistics and modeling of infectious diseases. That same year, avian influenza (bird flu) reached Europe and the Middle East, extending to Africa the following year. The fear of the bird flu in the US became a hot topic, generating interest among popular magazines such as Vogue. After learning that Betz was the most prominent woman scientist in the field, Vogue interviewed her. This led to her being featured as the Power Woman in the 2006 Vogue March issue. 

In 2009, Betz started the Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases. She participated as a collaborator in a broad range of research projects both at Fred Hutch, where she is a member and has her office and research team, and at UW, where she is a full professor in the School of Public Health. That same year, Betz received one of the most prestigious awards the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers: The Merit Award. This award is granted to investigators who have had a RO1-type grant for many years and whose research has been deemed productive. NIH gives this award only to prominent scientists whom they believe will make outstanding contributions to research for several years to come. When the research is very successful, the award is renewed for another five years. Betz recently heard that her merit award will, indeed, be renewed this year.

In September of last year, Betz received a $12.5 M funding award from NIH to build a Study Center (MIDAS, for Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study) to model and track pathogens from polio to Ebola. Betz is the Principal Investigator and Director of this nationwide center, which runs four research projects, as well as activities related to policy, outreach, and computational development. One of the projects is based in both Seattle and Florida, and aims to model the spatial spread of Ebola and dengue. The second project is based in Michigan and studies different approaches to fight polio and dengue. The third is based in Seattle and investigates the integration of a variety of epidemiologic research methods, and the fourth project is based mainly in Florida and studies how immunity affects evolution.

Although these successful projects account for most of her time, Betz always finds ways to enjoy life. The walls of her office are covered with paintings and other artwork she has been collecting throughout her life; she has been taking piano lessons for several years; and she likes ballroom dancing and hiking. Every year, she and a group of friends go on a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon, where she loves to admire the beautiful landscapes.

Betz has been remarkable to fit terms like art, dance, German language, outdoor adventure, and extraordinary research into the equation of her success. By balancing these passions precisely, she has been able to achieve very rewarding results.

Bravo Betz!