Tell us about where you work.  What do you do there, and who do you work with?

I work at the U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Environmental Public Health Division (EPHD), Epidemiology Branch (EB).

I have worked at the EPA since 1987.  I have been mostly involved with the analyses of epidemiological data.  I am a biostatistician (DrPH), and work a lot with existing data bases.

What are your primary areas of research?  What do you aim to achieve in these areas?

My aims are to obtain information on how environmental pollution contributes to disease.

I initially used mortality databases looking at underlying cause of death among subjects living in regions with high use of chlorophenoxy herbicides. These studies were followed by a biomarker study involving subjects exposed to 2,4-D, one of the common chlorophenoxy herbicides.  I am now expanding my scope by looking at pollutants that are known thyroid hormone disruptors.

What contributions have you made to these areas so far?  What is the broader importance of your contributions?

I showed that there is an association between being a resident of an area with high chlorophenoxy herbicide use and increased risk of mortality from cancer, heart disease, type-2 diabetes.  Also rates of birth defects were increased in the same regions.  A biomarker study showed that presence of urinary 2,4-D is associated with changes in lipids and glucose metabolism.  I am now involved in biomarker work associated with other pollutants that are thyroid hormone disruptors.

What directions do you expect your research in these areas to take in the future?

I have been considering for a while whether all these adverse effects start with thyroid hormone disruption.  It would be interesting to find out if pollutants that are known to be thyroid hormone disruptors, but have very different chemical structures, are associated with similar diseases?

What do you consider to be the most important recent developments in your areas of research?

The growing interest in biomarkers is in my opinion a development of major importance.

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