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Who wrote An Inconvenient Study and what are the author’s credentials?
Executive summary
"An Inconvenient Study" is a 2025 documentary directed by Kris Armstrong that centers on an unpublished Henry Ford Health study whose lead author is identified in reporting as Dr. Marcus (Mark) Zervos, an infectious-disease physician at Henry Ford Health; the film is promoted by groups and individuals critical of vaccines [1] [2] [3]. Media outlets, biostatisticians and Henry Ford Health itself have published strong critiques of the underlying unpublished study’s methods and conclusions [4] [5] [6].
1. Who is credited with the film and who the reporting names as the study author
The documentary "An Inconvenient Study" is listed on promotional and film sites as directed by Kris Armstrong and features figures such as Del Bigtree; reporting about the film consistently names Marcus (also written Mark) Zervos as the lead author of the unpublished Henry Ford Health vaxxed-vs-unvaxxed study that the film dramatizes [1] [2] [3].
2. What credentials are attributed to Marcus/Mark Zervos in coverage
Multiple outlets and the film describe the study’s lead author as Dr. Marcus (Mark) Zervos and identify him with Henry Ford Health’s infectious-disease division, presenting him as an infectious-disease expert and head of that division in some accounts [7] [2] [3]. Michigan Public’s reporting also refers to Dr. Marcus Zervos as one of the primary authors of the study [8].
3. Conflicting or ambiguous name usage in reporting
Coverage uses both "Marcus Zervos" and "Mark Zervos" to refer to the same individual; sources variously list him as Dr. Marcus Zervos or Dr. Mark Zervos MD [2] [3] [8]. Available sources do not resolve whether "Marcus" or "Mark" is his formal given name or a preferred usage.
4. Institutional context and reactions to the study and film
Henry Ford Health publicly distanced itself from the claim that it suppressed valid research and issued statements saying the unpublished study did not meet the system’s scientific standards, according to film-related reporting [1] [6]. Michigan Public reports that Henry Ford authors named in coverage, including Lois Lamerato and Dr. Marcus Zervos, did not reply to requests for comment [8].
5. Independent expert critique of the study’s methodology and findings
Biostatisticians and outlets such as The Hindu and The Conversation have published detailed critiques arguing the unpublished Henry Ford analysis is "severely flawed," pointing to detection bias (vaccinated children had more clinical visits and thus more opportunities for diagnosis), other confounding factors, and unsupported causal inferences regarding vaccines and chronic conditions [4] [5]. These critiques directly challenge the study’s headline implication that vaccination causes higher rates of chronic disease in children [4] [5].
6. Advocacy and promotion around the film — who’s amplifying it
The documentary is promoted by vaccine-skeptical organizations and personalities: the film features and is amplified by Del Bigtree and groups like ICAN (Informed Consent Action Network), and promotional pages claim large viewership and frame the film as exposing institutional suppression [1] [6]. Advocacy outlets such as the Free Now Foundation and sympathetic op-eds present the study author as assuring filmmakers of the study’s validity [2] [9].
7. What is established vs. what is not covered in available reporting
Established in the available reporting: the film’s director (Kris Armstrong), the film’s focus on an unpublished Henry Ford Health study, and that Marcus/Mark Zervos is presented as the study’s lead author and an infectious-disease physician at Henry Ford Health [1] [2] [3]. Not found in current reporting: a complete, peer-reviewed paper with author list and credentials published in an academic journal; comprehensive professional CV details for Zervos that would list degrees, board certifications and institutional titles beyond the descriptions in coverage [6] [8].
8. How to read these sources together
Reporting shows a clear cleavage: the film and allied organizations present Marcus/Mark Zervos as a credible lead author whose findings were "suppressed" [2] [6], while Henry Ford Health and independent analysts publicly contest the study’s quality and the inference that vaccines cause chronic illnesses [1] [4] [5]. Readers should weigh the documentary’s advocacy framing and affiliated promotions alongside the methodological critiques and Henry Ford Health’s institutional response [6] [4].
If you want, I can compile the specific passages that identify Zervos’s institutional title, or locate any public professional profiles or publications for Marcus/Mark Zervos cited by these outlets—available sources do not currently supply a full CV or peer‑reviewed publication list for him in the material you provided [2] [8].