Kupsco Lab on Environmental Epigenetics and Children's Health

The Kupsco lab applies epigenetic biomarkers to human population research with the ultimate goal of better understanding the molecular basis of environmental health to advance early detection and prevention of environmental disease. Led by Dr. Allison Kupsco, the lab collaborates with several prospective birth cohorts and adult cohorts around the world to address important research questions related to metals and endocrine disrupting compound exposures during susceptible periods, such as prenatal development, and risk of later disease. Operating as both a wet lab and a dry lab, the group is composed of scientists with epidemiology, toxicology, and molecular biology backgrounds. The wet lab centers around the development and optimization of novel omics biomarkers for environmental health studies, including small noncoding RNAs, RNA modifications, mitochondria, and DNA methylation. The dry lab then applies these biomarkers in novel investigations related to environmental determinants of health. Data analyses focus primarily on investigating associations between environmental mixtures and childhood cardiometabolic phenotypes, including metals, flame-retardants, and plasticizers. The group also has strong collaborations with the Strong Heart Study through the Superfund Research Program to address the molecular drivers of cardiometabolic diseases in American Indian populations. Information on our work can be found in the research projects page.