Kathrin Schilling, MSc, PhD

Kathrin Schilling is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University and Director of the Multi-Element Trace Analysis Laboratory (METALab). Her research focuses on advancing both metal measurements and isotope metallomics to uncover how essential and toxic elements influence human health. The overarching goal of Dr. Schilling’s work is to identify novel biomarkers and clarify mechanisms by which metals contribute to chronic disease, with applications in cancer, diabetes, and women’s health.

Since joining Columbia, Dr. Schilling has developed a distinctive research portfolio that integrates analytical chemistry, molecular biology, and population-based epidemiology. Her group develops and applies high-precision mass spectrometry methods to measure trace elements and their isotopes in biological and environmental samples.. A central theme of her research is the use of stable isotope fractionation and multi-element profiling as sensitive indicators of altered physiology. She pioneered studies applying zinc isotope patterns in urine as early markers of pancreatic cancer risk and is advancing broader isotope and elemental analyses to understand how arsenic, lead, cadmium, uranium, selenium, and other metals affect disease processes.

Dr. Schilling’s independent research spans multiple complementary areas:

• Development of next-generation methods for metallomics to achieve ultra-trace detection and isotopic resolution of metals in complex biological and environmental systems.
• Application of isotope metallomics as an early tool to identify metabolic disruptions and disease risk in cancer, diabetes, and women’s health.
• Integration of isotope and element analyses into large-scale epidemiological studies to define how environmental exposures shape chronic disease outcomes.

Her contributions have been recognized internationally, including the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Metallomics Young Investigator Award (2019) and the NIEHS P30 Career Development Award (2022). As Director of METALab, she has established a hub for cutting-edge trace element and isotope analysis, supporting interdisciplinary collaborations across biomedical, environmental, and global health research.

Office Location: 630 West 168th Street, VP&S Room 16-413