Fall 2019 Newsbrief

Tumor Expression of Environmental Chemical-Responsive Genes and Breast Cancer Mortality

In collaboration with Regina Santella, PhD of the Columbia Mailman SPH, Vasily Aushev, PhD at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai and their colleagues, investigated whether the expression of certain genes previously shown in animal models to be responsive to common ingredients in personal care products may have a relationship with breast cancer survival. Learn more...

Association Between Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Increasing Emphysema

Air pollution has been associated with incident cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality. However, knowledge on its association with lung function decline and progression of emphysema is largely unknown. Graham Barr, MD, DrPH of the Columbia Mailman SPH co-led a research team that showed long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants is significantly associated with increasing emphysema. Learn more...

Tortillas Tell the Story of Folate Deficiency in Mexico Study

A recent study led by Manuela Orjuela-Grimm, MD and her research team at the Columbia MSPH in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health, Mexico, found a large proportion of women of childbearing age have folic acid intakes below levels recommended by the World Health Organization, potentially raising the risk for neural tube defects in their offspring. Learn more...

Aspirin May Prevent Air Pollution Harms

Another recent study led by Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD and Xu Gao, PhD in the Columbia Mailman SPH, in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard Chan SPH and Boston University School of Medicine is the first to report evidence that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin may lessen the adverse effects of air pollution exposure on lung function. Learn more...

Media Engagement

The New York Times recently profiled Diana Hernández, PhD, Director of the Community Engagement Core, in a feature article part of a Women and Leadership special section series that focuses on approaches taken by women, minorities or other disadvantaged groups challenging traditional ways of thinking about poverty and health. Dr. Hernández describes growing up in federally subsidized housing in the Bronx where she and her family grew vegetables in a community garden. She learned firsthand the importance of community-building around healthy activities.  Read more…

Welcome to Our New Center Member

Jasmine McDonald, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, is an epidemiologist with multidisciplinary training ranging from breast cancer epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, and molecular biology with special interest in immunology. She holds a doctorate in Biological Sciences in Public Health from Harvard University (2009). Read more...