Environmental Health Sciences

Research Trainees of 2022

2022

  • Audrey Arthur*

    • Faculty Mentor: Joan Casey
    • School: Barnard College

    Project: A Web of Vulnerability: What Climate Catastrophe Means for Black Neurodivergent Populations

    Audrey Arthur is a second-year PrIMER trainee and a senior at Barnard College, completing her research on the Black neurodivergent experience as it pertains to climate catastrophe. With much support from her mentor, Dr. Joan Casey, Audrey developed a framework called “The Web of Vulnerability” to demonstrate Black neurodivergent populations’ susceptibility to harm due to the confounding factors of medical racism, environmental racism, and climate catastrophe. Her research also suggests preliminary solutions to decrease vulnerability in black neurodivergent populations.

  • Shanelle Bhajan*

    • Faculty Mentor: Daichi Shimbo
    • School: New York University

    Project: Cannabis Use and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review

    This summer, I continued my systematic review of the association between Cannabis Usage and Blood Pressure endpoints. I worked closely with my mentors to develop an inclusion/exclusion criteria and search strategy to input into PubMed. We decided to include pieces from any year and language and exclude articles that did not identify a relationship between marijuana usage and hypertension or contain blood pressure endpoints. At first, there were 815 articles identified using the search strategy; however, after using Covidence to extract articles, 23 were extracted to be included in the study. After a full-text review, which is more extensive, a final number of 17 papers are included in the systematic review. I collected data and analyzed evidence in these 17 relevant articles. I am wrapping up my project this summer by finalizing the data and writing a manuscript. I have learned so much, and I am excited to continue working on the finished product.

  • Leslie Delgado Muniz

    • Faculty Mentor: Markus Hilpert
    • School: Barnard College

    Project: Noise Pollution in the South Bronx 

    The third most frequent chronic health condition in the United States is hearing loss. This summer, I investigated noise pollution in the South Bronx to record and identify the subjects responsible for super-emitter noises. The EPA suggests an exposure limit of 70 dB to avert hearing loss. Furthermore, noise levels exceeding 85 dB can increase hearing damage with prolonged exposure. Therefore, analyzing sound levels near expressways in Mott Haven, a minority community, is critical to understanding the environmental injustices the community is facing and their heightened vulnerability to hearing loss health effects.

  • Isaac Mullings

    • Faculty Mentor: Diane Re
    • School: Fordham University

    Project: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Progression and Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers of Disease Progression

    Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease without an etiology or definitive biomarkers of progression. With ALS cases comprising 95% of sporadic cases (sALS) and 5% of familial cases (fALS), the key factors of my project under the supervision of Dr. Diane Re are to test whether TDP-43 level in blood GLAST-EVs could serve as a biomarker of ALS progression, assess metal content in blood CNS-EV as a biomarker of patient's exposure and test whether miRNA profiles in blood CNS-EVs could serve as biomarkers of both ALS progression and metal exposure. Historically ALSFRS-R scale has been the basis of analysis for ALS progression, but the study of the factors within the project was conducted using methods of analysis including ELISA assays and direct immunoprecipitation. The patient samples analyzed were from the COMOS, Veterans Affairs Biorepository, and the NEALS longitudinal study. The project's goal is to contribute to the advancement of therapy and prevention of ALS by developing precise biomarkers of progression through the use of EVs. I will be working on this project throughout the year.

  • Alex Olivares

    • Faculty Mentor: Maya Deyssenroth
    • School: Hunter College

    Project: Assessing Ethanol-Induced Gene Expression Changes in a Placental Cell Line

    This summer, I began a cell culture experiment aimed at finding a biomarker for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The disease is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure from maternal alcohol consumption. Children who suffer from the disease face various neurological effects, including learning disabilities, poor memory, speech problems, and hyperactive behavior. Previous human studies suggest that the upregulation of the TEK gene is linked to prenatal alcohol exposure making the gene a possible biomarker for FASD. Should TEK be a viable biomarker, its expression levels could be used as a part of screenings to identify FASDs early. My experiment attempts to replicate the findings of the human studies in a controlled environment. By dosing JEG-3 placenta cells with ethanol and measuring the TEK expression levels, I hope to help establish the TEK as a viable screening method.

  • Marilyn Santo*

    • Faculty Mentor: Ana Navas-Acien
    • School: Columbia College

    Project: Blood DNA Methylation-based Measures and Cultural Connection as a Proxy for Healthy Aging

    The project I worked on this summer aimed to characterize the association of culture and social factors with healthy aging in the Native American population. It is important to determine factors that contribute to healthy aging to decrease the risk of aging-related diseases later in life. We used data from the Strong Heart Study (SHS), a population-based prospective cohort study that evaluates cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in American Indian communities. We compared participants’ blood DNA methylation age to their chronological age to determine healthy aging using different epigenetic clocks. Finally, to assess the cultural connection between tribal traditions and mainstream U.S. traditions, we used data from a survey answered by the SHS participants and compared them to the epigenetic-chronological age measurements to determine whether stronger ties to traditional culture were correlated with healthy aging. 

  • Andres Silva

    • Faculty Mentor: Norman Kleiman
    • School: Fordham University

    Project: Comparison of DNA Damage Induced by 222 nm vs. 254 nm Light Using Supercoiled Plasmid DNA

    The use of far-UVC light (200-235 nm) may become a promising method of disinfection in hospitals and other health care facilities as it is effective in killing viruses and bacteria. However, the mechanism of how far-UVC light damages DNA is not known. This summer, under the guidance of Dr. Norman Kleiman, my research focused on identifying how 222 nm far-UVC light affected plasmids (such as pUC18) and seeing the type of damage on a molecular level. As I continue to work on this project over the year, far-UVC light damage will continue to be tested on DNA and plasmids, and the focus will then shift to intact viruses, bacteria, fungi, and animal cells.

  • Z'Dhanne Williams

    • Faculty Mentor: Allison Kupsco
    • School: Molloy University

    Project: Investigating the Influence of Mitochondrial Biomarkers on Children’s Neurodevelopment

    Many environmental toxicants accumulate within the mitochondria and pose damage to the Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), posing harm to critical processes within cells. The mtDNA plays a key role in oxidative stress, which activates systemic inflammatory reactions and is recognized as a biomarker for inflammatory illnesses. Our project is focused on using cord blood samples from a cohort population of Dominican and African American children from Northern Manhattan. The samples of blood will be used to uncover the influence cellular mtDNA, and Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) biomarkers have on children's health. The general purpose of the project is to assess the associations of mitochondria biomarkers with prenatal metal exposures and child neurodevelopment for future studies. Under the directive of Dr. Allison Kupsco, I am working towards optimizing novel biomarkers for future environmental health studies, including Cell-free Mitochondria DNA and Mitochondrial DNA. Our goal is to ultimately gain a better understanding of the molecular basis of children's environmental health to advance the early detection and prevention of environmental disease.

* 2nd year in the program