Current Projects

Genetics

Detecting pleiotropic effects through integration of omics data

We will elucidate pleiotropic variants that play a role in a number of common traits and diseases with high public health significance, including asthma, adiposity, type 2 diabetes, and blood lipid profiles. Using genome-wide genotype and sequence data, we will elucidate pleiotropic variants for Alzheimer’s disease and a number of comorbid phenotypes, such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, blood pressure, adiposity, and blood lipids.

Perinatal Studies

Neurodevelopmental Effects of Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs)

This study examines the associations between prenatal exposure to perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) and specific neurodevelopmental outcomes, including epilepsy, social competence and mental health at age 11, and intellectual capacity and school performance using data from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) that consists of ~100,000 mothers and children.

Air Pollution

Springfield Air Pollution Monitoring Network

This community-engaged project will establish a low-cost air sensor network across the Greater Springfield Area in Massachusetts to provide real-time estimates of PM_2.5 mass concentration and ozone.

Environmental Exposures

Drinking water vulnerability and neonatal health outcomes in relation to oil and gas production in the Appalachian Basin

The goal of The Yale WATER Study is to understand the impacts (if any) of unconventional oil and gas development on drinking-water quality in Pennsylvania and Ohio, while evaluating other factors that may influence drinking water chemistry in these locations.

COVID-19

Examining sex differences in metabolism that correspond with immune response to COVID-19

Using serum from COVID-19 patients, we will identify metabolite-immune responses that correlate with patient mortality and demographics.

Smoking and Tobacco

Center for the Assessment of the Public Health Impact of Tobacco Regulations (TCORS 2.0)

The tobacco market has become increasingly complex over the past decade, with new products recently introduced and others on the horizon. The increasing diversity of products will change the way people use tobacco and other nicotine-containing substances, including new combinations of polytobacco users. 

Cancer Studies

Understanding colon cancer heterogeneity by metabolomics

We will investigate the metabolic differences in tumors that form in different regions of the colon and identify those that have tumorigenic actions.

Metabolomics

Mouse Models and Metabolomics Tools to Investigate Alcohol Metabolism and Tissue Injury

The goals of this project are to maintain, expand, and generate animal models with genetic defects in alcohol metabolizing enzymes and in glutathione synthesizing enzymes that will continue to be available to the research community and offer investigators the opportunity to employ metabolomics analysis and/or tissue mass spectrometry imaging in their research efforts relating to the investigation of the mechanisms by which alcohol elicits deleterious pathophysiological effects.

Training Grants

R25 Summer Research Experience in Environmental Health (SREEH)

The summer research training program will introduce a diverse group of undergraduate students in Connecticut (CT) to five major emerging topics and tools in environmental health research: climate and energy impacts on health, the developmental origin of disease, green chemistry, environmental health disparities, and novel approaches to assessing environmental exposures and early markers of effect.