Research

Our research centers and labs examine how the environment and climate change impact human health and translate the findings into updated public health policies. These research efforts involve robust collaborations between faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and community-based organizations.

Research Centers

Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH)

Directed by Julie Herbstman, CCCEH was one of the first children’s centers designated by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency in 1997. The center was directed by Frederica Perera until 2020.


Columbia Climate and Health Program (CCHP)

Directed by Jeffrey Shaman, CCHP fosters innovative, cross-disciplinary research and teaching on the human health dimensions of climate change.


Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE)

Directed by Cecilia Sorensen, the GCCHE is a global network of health profession schools, including public health, medicine, and nursing programs that aim to educate professionals on the effects of climate change and advance global health security.


Precision Prevention

Directed by Andrea Baccarelli, Precision Prevention targets specific communities and vulnerable populations with preventive health strategies using research from biological and molecular basic sciences, integrated with big data and computational methods.


NIEHS Center for Environmental Health and Justice in Northern Manhattan

Directed by Andrea Baccarelli, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Center works to identify and understand environmental exposures contributing to the pathophysiology of human disease with a focus on environmental justice.


Columbia University Northern Plains Superfund Research Program

american indian structure on the plains

Directed by Ana Navas-Acien, the Columbia University Northern Plains Superfund Research Program uses systems science, traditional knowledge and innovative technology to reduce hazardous metals in Native American communities.


Labs

Asthma and Allergen Research Group

Explores the causes of asthma development and exacerbations that resulted in the stark disparities in asthma prevalence and morbidity seen in lower-income neighborhoods in New York City. (wet lab)

Baccarelli Lab

Explores environmental exposures and subsequent health outcomes. (wet lab)

Biomarkers Laboratory

Provides an extensive variety of analytical services that range from ELISA assays and microRNA analysis, to library preparations for massive parallel sequencing. (wet lab)

Central Nervous System (CNS) Biomarkers and Gene X Environment Interactions (GxE) In Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group

Explores the environmental factors that may contribute to the development of adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) by utilizing human biomarker and experimental model studies. (wet lab)

Darby Jack Lab

Focuses on clean energy transitions, with a  focus on household air pollution in resource-limited settings. (dry lab)

Deyssenroth Lab

Explores the functional role of the placenta in conveying the effects of intrauterine exposures on early childhood health. (wet lab)

Gamble Lab

Explores the effects of arsenic exposure and one carbon metabolism. (wet lab)

Kleiman Lab

Focuses on preventing infection by inactivating SARS-CoV-2 infection and understanding the immunological response. (wet lab)

Kupsco Lab

Examines the impact of environmental exposures on molecular and epigenetic biomarkers in human populations, and the associations of those biomarkers with child and adult health. (wet lab)

Maklab

Explores methodological issues in environmental epidemiology. (dry lab)

Markus Hilpert Group

Explores the interface between hydrology, environmental engineering, and environmental health. (dry lab)

Miller Lab

Uses electrochemical and pharmacological techniques in addition to an exposomics approach to explore the development of Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease from both genetic and environmental factors. (wet lab)

Nigra Lab

Focuses on understanding the relationship between metal exposures (arsenic, mercury, lead, etc.) and related disease, and on assessing population-level metal exposures using both biological and environmental monitoring. (dry lab)

Pearson Lab

Studies the impact of complex environmental stressors during development and across the life course. (wet lab)

Pei Group

Explores the environmental, social, and ecological determinants of infectious diseases using mathematical and statistical techniques. (dry lab)

Sanchez Lab

Investigates how metals and other environmental exposures affect lung disease development and identifies molecular signatures of environmental-related lung disease using a multi-omics approach. (dry lab)

Shaman Research Group

Explores the environmental determinants of health with a strong focus on infectious disease. (dry lab)

Spatial Environmental Epidemiology for Climate and Environmental Justice Group (SEEC-EJ)

Examines problems pertaining to environmental justice, sustainability, and the climate crisis including wildfire particulate matter and evacuation exposures, fracking, green space, early-life exposure to air pollution, and redlining for late-life cognitive health (dry lab)

Trace Metals Laboratory

Provides specific consultation to investigators for metals analysis during the planning phases of studies, provides appropriately clean supplies for collecting urine, blood, and other biospecimens, and enables CEHNM members to precisely measure a broad range of metal biomarkers. (wet lab)

Ziska Lab

Explores the effects of climate and carbon dioxide on food systems, including nutrition, safety and pest pressures, in the context of hunger. (dry lab)