Janneane Ferguson Gent PhD
Research Scientist in Epidemiology (Environmental Health)
Research Interests
Air pollution; Childhood asthma
Research Summary
Dr. Gent’s primary research focus is the effects of air pollution on childhood asthma. She is a co–investigator on studies specifically focused on exposure to traffic, a major source of air pollution in our region. These studies take advantage of the large data base of ambient air contaminants measured by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at central monitoring sites. Using this information as well as data collected by the research team at the CPPEE inside and outside of study subjects’ homes, Dr. Gent and her colleagues hope to contribute to the understanding of public health effects of short–term exposure to traffic–related air pollution.
Dr. Gent has served as a consultant for the EPA reviewing literature on the effects of nitrogen dioxide and particles on health. Her work for the EPA contributes to the production of their Integrated Science Assessments for these pollutants. This in turn is an important step in the regulatory process that leads to the setting of the National Air Quality Standards.
Dr. Gent is also a co–investigator with Melinda Pettigrew, Ph.D., School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, on a study of microbial interactions of pathogens involved in otitis media.
Selected Publications
- Belanger K, Holford TR, Gent JF, Hill ME, Kezik JM, Leaderer BP. Exposure to household levels of nitrogen dioxide: A prospective study of pediatric asthma severity. Epidemiology. 2012 In press.
- Gent JF, Kezik JM, Hill ME, Tsai E, Li D-W, Leaderer BP. Household mold and dust allergens: Exposure, sensitization and childhood asthma morbidity. Environmental Research. 2012; 118:86-93.
- Skene KJ, Gent JF, McKay LA, Belanger K, Leaderer BP, Holford TR. Modeling effects of traffic and landscape characteristics on ambient nitrogen dioxide in Connecticut. Atmospheric Environment, 2010;44: 5156-5164. PMCID: PMC2976574
- Lee HJ, Gent JF, Leaderer BP, Koutrakis P. Spatial and temporal variability of fine particle composition and source types in five cities of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Science of the Total Environment, 2011;409:2133-2142.
- Gent JF, Bell ML. Air pollution, population vulnerability, and standards for ambient air quality. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010;182:296-297. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201004-0538ED [Editorial]
- Gent JF, Koutrakis P, Belanger K, Triche E, Holford TR, Bracken MB, Leaderer BP. Symptoms and medication use in children with asthma and traffic-related sources of fine particle pollution. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(7):1168-1174. PMCID: PMC2717146
- Gent J, Belanger K, Triche EW, Bracken MB, Beckett WS, Leaderer BP. Association of pediatric asthma severity with exposure to common household dust allergens. Environmental Res. 2009;109:768-774. PMCID: PMC2706291
- Holford TR, Ebisu K, McKay LA, Gent JF, Triche EW, Bracken MB, Leaderer BP. Integrated exposure modeling: A model using GIS and GLM. Stat Med. 2009 Oct 12.
- Bundy KW, Gent JF, Beckett W, Bracken MB, Belanger K, Triche E, Leaderer BP. Household airborne Penicillium associated with peak expiratory flow variability in asthmatic children.Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2009 Jul;103(1):26-30.
