in Environmental Exposures and Health
Ann Aschengrau, ScD, is Professor, Associate Chair and Director of the Master of Science Degree Program in the Department of Epidemiology at BUSPH. Dr. Aschengrau is an epidemiologist by training and has written a best-selling textbook on epidemiologic methods. She is well known for her work in reproductive toxicology and behavioral teratology and is currently the Principal Investigator of a large retrospective cohort study investigating the effects of exposure to tetrachloroethylene-contaminated (PCE) waste. She is a Principal Investigator in BU’s Superfund Basic Research Program. Her Center collaborative work includes all three research themes. She has and continues mentoring doctoral students on a wide array of research questions in environmental epidemiology, including studies of lead exposure, spatial clustering of cancer, and contaminated drinking water exposure. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Aschengrau is co-director of the Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core.
Rhoda Au, PhD, is Associate Professor of Neurology at BUSM and a trained research neuropsychologist. She is best known for her work in neuropsychology, aging, dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease, and neuroepidemiological research design and development. Her research relates cardiovascular risk factors, brain MRI measures, and neuropathology to cognitive performance. At present, Dr. Au is Director of Neuropsychology for the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and facilitates the collaboration between FHS and the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC). Dr. Au has published over 30 peer-reviewed publications. As a Center Member, she will contribute to lifespan developmental research on aging and exposures and coordinate CIREEH efforts with FHS.
Peter R. Bergethon, MD, ABNP, is Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at BUSM. He was recently elected to the American Neurological Association. A clinical neurologist, he directs the Boston University Interdisciplinary Research and Development training module (BIRD), where he has developed extensive architectural, technical and didactic methodology for transdisciplinary training. He is a Center Member focusing on imaging outcomes and exposures. He will also contribute to the training and research translation activities of the Center.
Leslie I. Boden, PhD, is Professor and Associate Chair of EH at BUSPH and Director of the Doctoral Program in EH. Dr. Boden is an economist with over 30 years of experience in applied statistical analysis, largely focused on occupational health and issues related to injury and illness compensation. He has extensive experience analyzing large longitudinal datasets, with recent studies focused on the impact of workplace injuries and illnesses on employment and earnings and surveillance of occupational injuries and illnesses. In the course of his research, he has collaborated with colleagues in epidemiology, biostatistics, medical anthropology, and health law. Recently, Dr. Boden has been researching environmental impacts on obesity. As Director of the Doctoral Program, Dr. Boden has been a source of advice and guidance to doctoral students in the Department over the past 16 years. He will contribute to the training and career development activities of the Center.
Gloria V. Callard, PhD, is Professor of Biology at Boston University. Her research interests include neuroendocrinology, reproductive and developmental endocrinology, estrogen biosynthesis and actions, and gene regulation. She is currently investigating the actions of environmental estrogens and other xenobiotics that disrupt normal endocrine and neuroendocrine mechanisms of reproduction and which affect brain development. Her laboratory uses a wide range of animal models from fish to mammals to identify estrogen-sensitive control points, target genes, and physiological processes during spermatogenesis. Dr. Callard is a Principal Investigator in BU’s Superfund Basic Research Program, collaborates with Drs. Sherr and Schlezinger, and has published 152 peer-reviewed publications. She is a Center Member focusing on lifespan developmental research and is a founding member of the MBCIFC.
Wellington V. Cardoso, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology at BUSM. His research interests include: control of lung epithelial morphogenesis and differentiation by retinoids and fibroblast growth factors, mechanisms of primary lung bud induction and cell fate, FGF-heparin sulfate interactions in epithelial morphogenesis, and the role of the AhR in and the effects of environmental AhR ligands on lung development (in collaboration with Drs. Sherr and Schlezinger). His current research is focused on the mechanisms that regulate the initial stages of embryonic lung development. His work combines classical cell and organ culture techniques with gene discovery tools, including DNA microarrays, computational analyses, large scale in situ hybridization, and functional mouse genetics. Dr. Cardoso has 44 peer-reviewed publications. He contributes to the molecular toxicology and lifespan developmental research focus of CIREEH as a Center Member and is a founding member of the MBCIFC.
Richard W. Clapp, DSc, is Professor of EH at BUSPH. He has considerable experience evaluating cancer clusters in communities and workplaces, working with citizens groups concerned about health effects of toxic exposures, some of which have conducted their own cross-sectional studies. Dr. Clapp has collaborated with neuropsychologists, biostatisticians, oncologists, pathologists, health physicists and other epidemiologists in his work. He is currently working with Drs. White and Ozonoff on research on neurobehavioral effects of pesticide exposure and finding common language and understanding of community environmental epidemiology in low income communities in Massachusetts. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Clapp is a Center Member within the community methods focus of CIREEH research.
Catherine Brawn Fortier, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist and neuroscientist by training. She is a Research Associate of Geriatric Neuropsychology and Research Associate of the Boston Environmental Hazards Center at the Boston Veterans Administration Healthcare System, which is affiliated with BUSM. Her research includes trace eyeblink acquisition and conditional discrimination learning in alcoholics. She has contributed to several book chapters and peer-reviewed publications. After recently completing her post-doctoral training she was awarded her first competitive grant, a VA Merit Review Entry Program project on alcoholics. She contributes as a Center Member to the activities of the Behavioral Assessment Subcore of the IHSFC.
James A. Hamilton, PhD, is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at BUSM and Professor of Bioengineering at BU. He is also Director of the Cardiovascular NMR and Imaging Laboratory. His research focus is membrane and structural biology. He is currently studying the binding and transport of fatty acids in the plasma by albumin, transport across the plasma membrane and binding to intracellular fatty acid binding proteins (FABP). He is also conducting basic research on the interactions of cholesterol with model and biological membranes. Dr. Hamilton has 106 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Hamilton contributes to the animal imaging expertise in CIREEH.
Jonathan Howland, PhD, MPH, is Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at BUSPH. His research interests include fear of falling among the elderly, prevention of sexually transmitted infections in high-risk populations, and the reduction of human error in safety-sensitive systems. He studies the effects of low-doses of alcohol or over-the-counter medications on occupational performance, using training simulators to measure outcomes. He lectures on elderly falls at the University of Copenhagen and Sweden, where he is a visiting professor at the Kalmar Maritime Academy. Dr. Howland has over 30 peer-reviewed publications related to alcohol and injury. He is co-director of the Behavioral Assessment Subcore of the IHSFC.
H. Patricia Hynes, MA, MS, is Professor of EH at BUSPH. She is co-principal investigator of the Healthy Public Housing Initiative, which has tested the efficacy of indoor environment interventions on symptoms, health services use, and quality of life of asthmatic children in Boston public housing. She is also Assistant Director of Community Partnerships and Linkage Projects in the BUSPH Prevention Research Center. Professor Hynes has extensive experience in research, consulting, training, and teaching on the health effects of poor housing and also urban health interventions. She is currently working with Dr. Michael McClean to sample and analyze urban community garden soil for concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead, to conduct an exposure assessment of gardeners, and to develop guidance for limiting exposure to health hazards at Boston’s 150 community gardens. She has authored five books and has numerous publications. Prof. Hynes contributes as a Center Member to the community methods research effort, as Director of the Community Methodology Subcore in the IHSFC, and as a member of the COEC.
Ronald J. Killiany, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Teaching Fellow in the Department of Neurology at BUSM. He is also Instructor of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a licensed psychologist and health care provider. Dr. Killiany’s work explores the relationship between brain structure and behavior. His studies have focused on the morphological changes that take place in the brain during aging and disease processes, including Alzheimer ’s disease, in order to gain insight into the mechanisms behind the specific cognitive changes that characterize these processes. His research includes functional techniques such as fMRI (functional magnetic resonance images), SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography), and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanning. Non-human primate models and clinical populations are studied in his work. Dr. Killiany has over 30 peer-reviewed publications and collaborates with other CIREEH members on small animal imaging studies. He is a Center Member working in the area of imaging and is Director of the Imaging Subcore of the IHSFC.
Dae-Shik Kim, PhD, is Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology and Director of the Center for Biomedical Imaging at BUSM. His expertise includes single and multiunit recording, computational modeling, optical imaging of intrinsic signals, and high field magnetic resonance imaging (3T, 4.7T, 7T, and 9.4T). Dr. Kim’s current research investigates the electrophysical foundation of functional MRI, multimodal mapping of the mammalian cortex, and the "Fusiform Face Area (FFA)" in human visual system using a high-field (3T) magnet. He has mentored several students and has 45 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Kim contributes to CIREEH research in imaging and is a member of the Imaging Subcore of the IHSFC.
Milton Kotelchuck, PhD, MPH, is Chair and Professor of Maternal and Child Health at BUSPH. His research interests include examination of the adequacy and content of prenatal care, racial disparities in birth outcomes, maternal morbidity, immigrant health, child health services, and health data policy. He developed the widely used Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index. Currently, he is Principal Investigator of the PELL (Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal) Database project and has published extensively in his field. Dr. Kotelchuk participates as a Center Member in the lifespan developmental efforts of CIREEH and coordinates work with the PELL cohort.
Maxine H. Krengel, PhD, is Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology (Neuropsychology) at BUSM. She is a Clinical Neuropsychologist at the Boston Environmental Hazards Center at the Boston Veterans Administration Healthcare System and is Principal Investigator of a study examining the neuropsychological functioning in Gulf War veterans who were exposed to pesticides and pyridostigmine bromide. As a Center Member, she coordinates CIREEH research with VA military cohorts, including the Fort Devens Gulf War cohort and the pesticide applicators cohort.
Russell P. Lopez, DSc, MCRP, is Research Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH. He has extensive experience working with state and local government in Massachusetts and is the past Executive Director of a coalition of neighborhood organizations working on environmental justice and health issues. Currently, he is developing a curriculum to train community groups on how to use built environmental health information when evaluating development (building) proposals. As a Center Member his research focuses on the community methods theme.
Michael D. McClean, ScD, is Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH. His research focuses on the use of biological markers to assess environmental and occupational exposures with respect to exposure-related disease. Trained as an industrial hygienist, he is involved in improving traditional exposure assessment methods by developing innovative approaches for assessing multi-pathway exposures and for analyzing biological data. Currently, Dr. McClean is evaluating genetic markers of susceptibility to exposure-induced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. He has also been working with Dr. White to evaluate the association between jet fuel exposure and adverse neurological outcomes among military personnel, with Prof. Hynes on community exposures to PAH, and with Drs. Schlezinger and Sherr on development of a high throughput AhR agonist exposure assay. Dr. McClean is co-Director of the Exposure Assessment Facility Core (EAFC).
Richard H. Myers, PhD, is Professor of Neurology (Neurogenetics Research Program) at BUSM. He is a clinical behavioral geneticist who has worked extensively on the genetics of neurodegenerative disorders, especially Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases; hypertension and stroke risk factors, and obesity. Dr. Myers has over 150 peer reviewed publications. He is Director of the Genetics Subcore of the IHSFC.
Alexander M. Norbash, MD, MHCM, is Chair of Radiology at BMC and Professor of Radiology at BUSM. He is board certified in radiology. Dr. Norbash’s professional interests include endovascular simulation, intracranial aneurysms, carotid stenting, and stroke therapy. Currently, he is Principal Investigator of a pilot study of CT perfusion and CT angiography in the acute stroke patient in comparison with perfusion and diffusion MR and co-investigator on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. He has published extensively on stroke therapy and diagnosis. Dr. Norbash is a member of the Imaging Subcore of the IHSFC and a Member investigator on several imaging projects.
Alexander Ozonoff, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at BUSPH and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Harvard School of Public Health. His training was in pure mathematics, and he entered the field of biostatistics by applying geometric methods to the analysis of spatial data collected from syndromic surveillance systems. His methodologic interests have expanded to include other statistical problems related to biosurveillance and public health surveillance. Dr. Ozonoff continues to collaborate with informaticians and public health officials in the design and data analysis of real-time surveillance systems, which have shown potential to provide early warnings of chemical or biological terrorist attacks as well as other major public health events. He is the CIREEH biostatistician and a member of the IHSFC.
David M. Ozonoff, MD, MPH, is Professor of EH at BUSPH and Professor of Socio-Medical Sciences and Community Medicine at BUSM. He is a licensed physician. In 1977, Dr. Ozonoff became the first Chair of EH, a position he held until 2003. His research interests include community health effects of toxic exposures, especially from hazardous waste sites; new mathematical approaches to understanding the results of small case-control studies; and the use of scientific evidence in court. Dr. Ozonoff has been Principal or co-Principal Investigator of several major studies of hazardous waste sites and is Director of the BU Superfund Basic Research Program. He works with The Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science at Rutgers University on a Special Focus effort to bring together mathematicians and epidemiologists. He has mentored 12 students and has over 70 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Ozonoff is Director of the COEC and Career Development Director of CIREEH.
Lewis D. Pepper, MD, MPH, is Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH and a trained occupational health clinician. His research focuses on the relationship between the social organization of work, worker autonomy, and employee health status. He is also involved in investigations of the toxicological effects of radiation and other hazardous substances and of the health impacts of the large-scale downsizing and organizational change of the US Department of Energy (DOE) employees in the early 1990s. Dr. Pepper has worked with numerous trade unions and retired worker organizations during his activities funded by the DOE. He is Research Translation Coordinator for CIREEH.
Itamar Ronen, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at BUSM and head of Magnetic Resonance (MR) Physics for the Center of Biomedical Imaging at BUSM. A physical chemist with a special interest in NMR/MRI, Dr. Ronen is particularly interested in the development of bioimaging methods that are relevant to neuroscience research. Two main goals pursued in Dr. Ronen's lab are: investigating the relation between neuronal tissue structure and its MRI correlate and establishing a multimodal MRI correlate of brain morphological and neurophysiological changes due to drug use and addiction in monkeys. Dr. Ronen has recently published research on the connection between water compartments in tissue in brain gray and white matter and the properties of the diffusion-weighted MR signal that originates from these compartments. He contributes to several Center imaging projects and is a member of the IHSFC Imaging Subcore.
Megan T. Sandel, MD, MPH, is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at BUSM and a licensed, practicing pediatrician. She is a member of the Board of the Alliance for Healthy Homes and serves on the executive committee for the Asthma Regional Coordinating Committee. She is currently the Principal Investigator of an epidemiological study on the influence of both social and physical dimensions of housing conditions on childhood asthma morbidity in the inner city funded by NIEHS. Dr. Sandel is also working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Asthma Regional Council to identify and address conditions in the home that may affect a child’s asthma and to recommend home renovations and education that would improve conditions. Dr. Sandel works in the areas of lifespan developmental research and community methods as a Center Member.
Madeleine Kangsen Scammell is a Doctoral Candidate in EH at BUSPH and is Project Manager of the Community Environmental Health Research Project at BUSPH. This project uses qualitative methods to identify community perceptions of “health studies” and develops educational tools to assist communities with environmental health concerns. This is a collaborative project including faculty at Boston University School of Public Health, Brown University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in addition to members of Toxics Action Center, Haverhill Environmental League, HealthLink, and Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. Ms. Kangsen Scammel has also worked as the Outreach Coordinator for the BU Superfund Basic Research Program 2001-2004 and continues as part-time Outreach staff. As Outreach Coordinator she developed educational programs and collaborative projects with community partners. Ms. Kangsen Scammel is Deputy Director of the COEC.
Jennifer J. Schlezinger, PhD, is Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH. Her studies focus on the mechanisms by which environmental contaminants impair the immune system, with particular emphasis on the effects of these contaminants on B cells developing in the bone marrow. Dr. Schlezinger’s studies investigate the role of two receptors, the AhR and the peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR)(proteins that are activated by endogenous prostaglandins, anti-diabetic drugs, and environmental phthalates), in the death of bone marrow B lymphocytes and, in translational studies, in the growth inhibition of human cancers. She uses a variety of biochemical and molecular technologies to map intracellular signaling pathways activated in developing lymphocytes by environmental chemicals. She is a Principal Investigator in BU’s Superfund Basic Research Program. She also studies the effects of complex mixtures on the immune system (in collaboration with Dr. Webster), the effects of environmental AhR ligands on brain development (in collaboration with Drs. Killiany, White, and Callard) and on lung development (in collaboration with Drs. Cardoso and Sherr), and the potential for use of a biologic assay for assessment of human AhR agonist exposure (in collaboration with Drs. McClean and Sherr). Dr. Schlezinger has over 25 peer-reviewed publications. She is Associate Director of the MBCIFC. To learn more about Dr. Schlezinger's work, look here.
Kimberly Sullivan, PhD, is Research Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH and Research Associate of the Boston Environmental Hazards Center at the Boston Veterans Administration Healthcare System, which is affiliated with BUSM. She is co-Investigator of two studies working with Gulf War veterans. Her research includes neuropsychological functioning and cognitive functioning using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Gulf War veterans who were exposed to pesticides and pyridostigmine bromide. She contributes to imaging research efforts within CIREEH.
Jean M. van Seventer, VMD, is Associate Professor of EH at BUSPH. Dr. van Seventer’s research is concentrated on characterizing the molecular mechanisms by which adaptive immunity is regulated. Her studies primarily focus on the role of type I interferons (IFNs) in regulating dendritic cell and T cell function, through effects on IFN-inducing cytokines, interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-23, IL-27 and IL-18. This translational research provides insight into the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, and also contributes to new avenues of vaccine development. Her work on cytokine storms has important implications for the genesis and treatment of toxic shock induced by exposure to NIAID Category A pathogens (i.e. agents with bioterrorism potential). Dr. van Seventer collaborates with Dr. Sherr on vaccine development and is a founding member of the MBCIFC.
Veronica M. Vieira, DSc, is Research Assistant Professor of EH at BUSPH. She has worked as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyst for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Her research focuses on spatial analysis methods of environmental health data and exposure modeling. She is currently studying fate and transport of PCE-contaminated drinking water and the detection of cancer hotspots in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts using GIS. She has also modeled human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and worked on a study of prenatal pesticide exposure among farm workers in South Africa. Dr. Vieira is co-Director of the EAFC.
Thomas F. Webster, DSc, is Associate Professor of EH at BUSPH. His main research interest is in methodological aspects of environmental epidemiology, particularly issues of spatial epidemiology: disease mapping and clusters, ecologic bias, and the use of combinations of individual- and group-level data. A second area of research involves the exposure routes and health hazards of persistent organic pollutants. A current project investigates body burdens of and exposure routes to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a common fire retardant. Other interests include applications of mathematical modeling in public health, interactions of chemicals, and environmental health aspects of obesity. He is a Principal Investigator in BU’s Superfund Basic Research Program and has recently published on cluster detection and PBDE levels in human breast milk. Dr. Webster collaborates with Dr. Schlezinger on the biologic effects of complex chemical mixtures and is co-Director of the IHSFC. To learn more about Dr. Webster's work, look here.
Philip A. Wolf, MD, is Professor of Neurology and Research Professor of Medicine at BUSM. He is Principal Investigator of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). The three main objectives of the FHS are: to identify the genetic and environmental factors related to the development of cardiovascular, lung and blood diseases, to identify determinants of the evolution of risk factors, and to establish a resource for genetic and non-genetic studies of disease risk using data, DNA, and transformed cells from the Framingham Heart Study participants. Dr. Wolf is also a co-Investigator on the Alzheimer’s Disease Center, where his research contributes to the understanding of the phenomenology and pathophysiology of the disease. He is board certified in neurology and has over 200 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Wolf collaborates as a Center Member on lifespan developmental research in aging.
Barry Zuckerman, MD, is Chair and Professor of Pediatrics at BUSM. He is also Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at BUSPH and Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Zuckerman is currently working with the Family Advocacy Program to establish a National Center for Medical-Legal Collaboration that will provide seed grants and technical support to medical-legal collaborations around the United States. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Children’s Study (DHHS) and has over 200 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Zuckerman is a Center Member focusing on child health as part of the lifespan developmental research theme.