Dickson D. Despommier (June 5, 1940–February 7, 2025) was an emeritus professor of microbiology and Public Health at Columbia University.

Despommier studied the ecology of West Nile virus with a focus on related patterns of weather.

[1][4] Research and findings on Trichinella spiralis, the causative agent of trichinosis, resulted in a large body of literature.

Despommier was especially known for his research findings in this area, which led to numerous advances in the understanding of the "muscle stage" of the organism, and how it maintains itself in the host for long periods of time in the Nurse cell/parasite complex (weeks to years in some cases).

He developed his concept of vertical farming over a 10-year period with graduate students in a medical ecology class beginning in 1999, with work continued by designer Chris Jacobs and Ontarian eco-architect Gordon Graff[5][6] from the University of Waterloo's School of Architecture.