Kevin Kelly [far left, Adjunct Associate Professor of Anthropology; Asssociate Research Scientist Emeritus, College of Public Health, University of Iowa] with family.
Kevin Kelly [far left, Adjunct Associate Professor of Anthropology; Asssociate Research Scientist Emeritus, College of Public Health, University of Iowa] with family.

  • I am a fifth generation Iowan. I was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa and graduated from Emmetsburg High School (1974) but lived my early years and have lived most of my adult life in eastern Iowa.

  • I am a husband. In 1979, I married my high school sweetheart, Cheryl Lynn Mills.

  • I am a father. Cheryl and I have two sons, Ned and Nicholas, who, I am proud to say, found their own way and, as luck would have it, have inherited Cheryl’s musical talents and social skills.

  • I am a grandfather. Ask me about my grandchildren. They are so very special.

  • I am an anthropologist. I received a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Iowa (1977) and a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1980, 1988).

In June 2021, I retired from the University of Iowa where I was an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health and Deputy Director of the Healthier Workforce Center, a CDC/NIOSH funded center.  Over the course of my career I have worked independently as well as a member of a multidisciplary team in academic settings as well as in for profit and nonprofit hospital settings.  Currently, I am Adjunct Associate Professor of Anthropology and Associate Research Scientist Emeritus at the University of Iowa.

My interests focuses on cultural, behavioral & biological facets of human health in the context of human variation & human adaptability and whose publications address issues in anthropology, oral surgery, child health, environmental health, occupational health, evolutionary biology and immunology.

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services Honor Award Nominee, CDC/NIOSH, 2017

Fellow, American Anthropological Association, 1994

Elected Associate Member, Plastic Surgery Research Council, 1993

Associate Member, Sigma Xi

Associate Editor, Humans

Section Board Member, Behavioral and Mental Health, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [IJERPH]

Editorial Board Member, Populations

Occasional reviewer for:

Cancers

Economies

Pharmacy

Vaccines

Orcid

Researchgate

Scopus

Cleft lip and palate surgery. While completing my doctorate, I began what was to become a long involvement in experimental and clinical studies of cranial morphology. Concerns about possible iatrogenic effects of cleft lip and palate repair and in particular, clinical observations suggesting that cleft palate repair inhibits growth of the maxillofacial skeleton date back to the 1940s. This unparalleled series of studies identified technique-specific variations in subsequent maxillofacial growth and form leading to the reconsideration/modification of surgical techniques. I was a co-investigator in all of these studies. I participated in the design of the studies, assisted with surgical procedures, was responsible for the execution of the studies and collection of data, performed all statistical analyses, contributed substantially to the writing of the manuscripts, and reviewed, revised and approved the final manuscripts as submitted. These publications are representative of the body of work that lead to my election in 1993 to the honorary position of Associate Member of the Plastic Surgery Research Council.

  1. Bardach J, Kelly KM (1988) The influence of lip repair with and without soft tissue undermining on facial growth in beagles. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 82:747-755.
  2. Kelly KM, Bardach J (1988) Facial growth in beagles with repair of an isolated cleft palate. European Journal of Plastic Surgery, 12:66-73.
  3. Bardach J, Kelly KM (1990) Does interference with mucoperiosteum and palatal bone affect craniofacial growth? An experimental study in beagles. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 86:1093-1100.
  4. Kelly KM (2020) Biological basis of cleft palate and palatal surgery. In: FJM Verstraete, MJ Lommer, B Arzi (Editors), Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Dogs and Cats (2nd ed). Elsevier: St. Louis.

Human biogeography. My doctoral research focused on the biogeographic distribution of Oceanic populations. Haplotype arrays of gamma-immunoglobulin polymorphisms had previously been recognized as genetic markers for specific Oceanic linguistic taxa. My research found an association between the distribution of malaria and the frequency and occurrence of specific gamma-immunoglobulin allotypes posited to be mediated by an abnormal immune response to malaria. These publications extended the work of my predecessors and mentors; reframed the interpretation of gamma-immunoglobulin polymorphism distributions, extended the principles of human biogeography and compelled discussions of (pre-European) Oceanic colonization to address the role of natural selection. I was the sole investigator or co-primary investigator in all of these studies. This line of investigation and specifically the publication of the Clark & Kelly (1993) lead to my recognition as a Fellow of the American Anthropological Association in 1994. [Kelly (1990) and Clark & Kelly (1993) are cited WW Howells in Volume 2 of “History of Physical Anthropology: An Encyclopedia” (1997), Frank Spencer (Editor).]

  1. Kelly KM (1990) Gm polymorphisms, linguistic affinities, and natural selection in Melanesia. Current Anthropology, 31:201-219.
  2. Clark JT, Kelly KM (1993) Human genetics, paleoenvironments, and malaria: relationships and implications for the settlement of Oceania. American Anthropologist, 95:613-631.
  3. Kelly KM (1996) IGHG3 G and the pathogenesis of hyperreactive malarious splenomegaly. Medical Hypotheses, 46:135-139.
  4. Kelly KM (1999) Malaria and immunoglobulins in Pacific prehistory. American Anthropologist, 101: 806-809.

Deformational plagiocephaly. The success of the 1992 “Back to Sleep” public health campaign was followed by an epidemic increase in the incidence of infants with deformational changes of the cranium. Although first described in 1979, in 1995, the FDA sought to regulate the orthotic cranial molding helmets devices being used to treat deformational plagiocephaly. I was the lead investigator on a pair of clinical studies submitted to the FDA, and subsequently published, that demonstrated orthotic cranial molding helmets as a safe and effective nonsurgical alternative to invasive intracranial surgical remodeling. These efforts led to the classification of cranial orthoses as a Class II neurology device and subsequently to the approval of the first regulated cranial orthosis. Follow-up studies have focused on the etiology and incidence of deformational plagiocephaly. By providing evidence of safety, effectiveness, etiology and incidence, this body of work has changed the standard of medical treatment of nonsynostotic cranial deformations. I was the primary investigator or a co-investigator in all of these studies. I participated in the conceptualization and design of these studies, performed all statistical analyses, contributed substantially to the writing of the manuscripts, and reviewed, revised and approved the final manuscripts as submitted.

  1. Kelly KM, Littlefield TR, Pomatto JK, Ripley CE, Beals SP, Joganic EF (1999) Importance of early recognition and treatment of deformational plagiocephaly with orthotic cranioplasty. American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 36: 127-30.
  2. Kelly KM, Littlefield TR, Pomatto JK, Manwarring KH, Beals SP (1999) Cranial growth unrestricted during treatment of deformational plagiocephaly. Pediatric Neurosurgery, 30: 193-199.
  3. Littlefield TR, Kelly KM, Pomatto JK, Beals SP (1999) Multiple-birth infants at higher risk for development of deformational plagiocephaly. Pediatrics, 103: 565-69.
  4. Kelly KM, Joganic E, Beals SP, Riggs JA, McGuire MK, Littlefield TR (2018) Helmet Treatment of infants with deformational brachycephaly. Global Pediatric Health. 5: 1-11.  
  • In addition, I was the guest editor of the special issue, “Positional Cranial Deformation: Etiology, Natural History, Prevention, Treatment and Sequelae,” published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383).

Total Worker Health. I was co-investigator on a pair of statewide surveys (RealIowans.com): 1) a survey of employed Iowans that provided employment sector estimates of health status, prevention behaviors, and productivity measures by employment status (self-employed, employed by an organization or currently unemployed, but seeking employment) and 2) a survey of Iowa employers that provided employment sector estimates of employee health and safety programs. Results of the employee survey showed that higher quality of life measures and practicing more prevention behaviors are strongly associated with lower absenteeism and higher presenteeism scores. At the same time, we found that Iowa employers are implementing less than 30% of the 12 IOM-recommended employee total health management components. Responding to this need, our team produced and evaluated a series of eight translational videos. The Total Worker Health Essentials videos uses a peer-to-peer approach to help small businesses tailor integrated health and safety programs, practices and policies into their workplaces. I participated in the conceptualization and design of the survey studies, performed all statistical analyses, contributed substantially to the writing of the manuscripts, and reviewed, revised and approved the final manuscripts as submitted. I reviewed, revised and approved content of the translational Total Worker Health videos and assisted with evaluation of the videos by community stakeholders.

  1. Merchant JA, Kelly KM, Burmeister L, Lozier M, Amendola A, Lind DP, McKeen A, Slater T, Hall JL, Rohlman D, Buikema B (2014) Employment status matters—a statewide survey of quality-of-life, prevention behaviors, and absenteeism and presenteeism. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56(7): 686-698. PMID: 24988095
  2. Rohlman R, Campo S, Hall J, Robinson EL, Kelly KM. (2018) What could Total Worker Health® look like in small enterprises? Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 62 (S1): S34–S41.
  3. Tamers SL, Goetzel R, Kelly KM, Luckhaupt S, Nigam J, Pronk N, Rohlman DS, Baron S, Brosseau L, Bushnell T, Campo S, Chang C-C, Childress A, Chosewood C, Cunningham T, Goldenhar LM, Huang TT-K, Hudson H, Linnan L, Newman L, Olson R, Ozminkowski RJ, Punnett L, Schill A, Scholl J, Sorensen G. (2018) Research Methodologies for Total Worker Health®: Proceedings from a Workshop. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 60 (11): 968-978.
  4. Alterman T, Tsai, Ju J, Kelly KM (2019) Trust in the work environment and cardiovascular disease risk: Findings from the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 16(2): 230.
  • In addition, I was guest editor (with Diane Rohlman) of “Using Total Worker Health® to Advance Worker Health and Safety” which was published as a special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). 

Honorable Mention (other noteworthy scientific activities to which I have contributed)

Kevin M. Kelly, PhD
Cell: 319-389-1257
Fax: 319-373-7831
E-mail: kevin-kelly@uiowa.edu