Mary Ann Sens, M.D., Ph.D
Mary Ann Sens was born in a rural community outside Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University and completed a PhD in Physical Inorganic Chemistry at the University of South Carolina. Following post-doctoral studies at USC and Harvard, Dr. Sens matriculated at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, obtaining an MD and then continuing for post-graduate training in Pathology, remaining on MUSC faculty for several years in forensic, general autopsy pathology, and renal, cardiac, and transplant surgical pathology. She came to ND in 2002 as Professor and Chair of Pathology at UND, developing a forensic and autopsy pathology service for the NW corner of MN, part of ND with additional referrals from Coroners in MN and SD. Her interest in sudden infant deaths stems from her participation in a 12-year, international study of sudden infant death and stillbirths in 12,000 pregnancies in the Northern Plains of USA and Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Sens is the author of a popular book in Forensic Pathology, in addition to over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, multiple book chapters, and on-line learning activities.
Philosophy: Forensic pathology is the O negative of medicine, encompassing all humans – we see the worst and the best in humans. It is the most inclusive practice in all of medicine; we all die, passing through some mandated death system. However, few people, if any, "select" their home based on the quality of the death investigation. In this system, with minimal selection bias and potentially 100% inclusion, forensic pathology has unparalleled opportunities for determining outcomes and identifying inequities. Public and family health are vital practice components in forensic pathology.
