Environmental Health and Molecular Epidemiology

The environment in which we live is a major determinant of our health and longevity. Chemical pollutants released into the environment by anthropogenic activity or by natural processes can lead to toxicant exposures that cause morbidity and mortality. These pollutants, such as metals, plasticizers, flame-retardant compounds, and pesticides, lead to molecular and functional changes to target cells and tissues, which may ultimately result in damage and dysfunction. Our lab collaborates with exposure scientists specializing in chemical analysis (metals, organics, etc) to measure internal levels of pollutants of concern in convenient biosamples, such as urine, blood, teeth, and serum. We then apply molecular epidemiology methods to associate these exposures with human health, with a particular focus on mixture models.

Sample Publications

Reddam A, Sjödin A; Cowell W; Jones R; Wang S; Perera FP; Herbstman JB; Kupsco A*. Prenatal Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Birth Outcomes. Environmental Research. 2023 Jan 1;216(Pt 4):114830. PMCID: PMC9729424

Kupsco A; Wu H; Calafat AM; Kioumourtzoglou M-A; Tolentino M; Oken E; Braun J; Mercado-Garcia A; Wright RO; Téllez- Rojo MM; Baccarelli AA; Just AC. Prenatal Maternal Phthalate Exposures and Child Lipid and Adipokine Levels at Age 6: A Study from the PROGRESS Cohort of Mexico City. Environ Res. 2021 Jan;192:110341. PMCID: PMC7736226.

Haotian W; Kupsco A; Deierlin A; Just,AC; Calafat AM; Oken E; Braun J; Mercado-Garcia A; Cantoral A; Téllez- Rojo MM; Wright RO; Baccarelli AA. Trends and Patterns of Phthalates and Phthalate Alternatives Exposure in Pregnant Women from Mexico City during 2007-2010. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020; 54 (3): 1740–1749. PMCID: PMC7094762