EHS Department Newsletter Spring 2025
Alexis Grayon, 2nd Year MPH Student
Karen Gutensohn, MPH ‘24
Layla Manoochehri, MPH ‘24
Brandy Coleman, Academic Coordinator
Nina Kulacki, Director, Academic Programs
Letter from Chair
Welcome to the Spring 2025 Newsletter!
It is wonderful to see the incredible work and joyful moments highlighted here. We are facing a difficult time but this publication is a reminder that we are strong, and our work is meaningful and more important than ever.
Seeing our students the next generation of researchers, public health advocates, and community catalysts gives me hope in these challenging moments. Our students continue to work toward their hard earned degrees because they believe in our mission: to understand, prevent, and mitigate the impacts of environmental exposures and climate change on human health. I am inspired by our Columbia EHS community, where colleagues with diverse perspectives and opinions, come together toward a shared goal for the common good. I am honored to be part of this community.
It is vitally important that we continue to emphasize the impact our work has on people’s daily lives. We protect children by ensuring water is safe to drink, prevent infectious diseases, work to make households safer, study the health impacts of personal care products and so much more. This is an opportunity to improve our ability to communicate the value of our research to people outside of academia and show how our work improves lives.
As a department, we are strong and well supported. We continue to provide excellent educational opportunities, training public health professionals who will go on to defend communities impacted by disproportionate environmental hazards. Our shared commitment to environmental health inspires me to keep going each day. One day we will look back on this time and be proud of how we navigated this difficult moment in history, upheld our principles, supported each other, and continued to do the important work to improve the lives of everyone on this planet.
AnaNavas-Acien,MD,PhD,MPH
LeonHessProfessorandChair DepartmentofEnvironmentalHealthSciences
Updates: Faculty
Dr. Markus Hilpert
InNovember2024,Dr.Hilpertandotherresearcherstraveledto SouthDakotatoinstallaseriesofairpollutionmonitors.Thiseffortis partofanewproject,theStrongHeartAirStudy,whichseeksto examinecardiovasculardiseaseandairpollutioninAmericanIndians.
Dr. Lewis Ziska
Dr.Ziskadeliveredakeynoteaddressatthe AmericanAcademyofAllergy,Asthma& Immunology(AAAAI)AnnualMeetingin SanDiegoonMarch1st,titled“Effects of Climate Change on Plant Biology: Implications for Allergies and Allergy Patients.”
Updates: Students
Matthew Ramey, MPH 2nd
Year
Thispastsummer,Matthewworked withtheAssociatesinInternal Medicine(AIM)ClinicattheColumbia UniversityIrvingMedicalCenter (CUIMC)onaprojectmeanttoassess digitalhealthliteracyamongpatients. DuringtheCOVID-19pandemic,there wasasignificantshifttowarddigital technologiesforeverydayneeds.
Unfortunately,thisrelianceontechnologyhasleftthosewithoutaccessto devicesorthenecessarydigitalskillsunabletobenefitfromvirtual services.Theprojectresultedinvaluablefindingsthatshouldassist interventionstoimprovehealthcaredelivery.Recently,histeamwas informedthattheirprojecthasbeenacceptedforaposterpresentationat theSocietyforGeneralInternalMedicine(SGIM)AnnualConference. Theyareexcitedtopresenttheirfindingsandarehopingtohearnews aboutpotentialpublicationssoon!
Read Matthew’s testimonial of one of his favorite EHS classes below!
“In the Laboratory Methods in Environmental Health Sciences class, students learn a range of experimental approaches in a wet lab setting. In one of our recent classes, students were tasked with finding "patient zero" in a hypothetical disease outbreak. To do so, students performed enzymelinked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to detect antibodies for the hypothetical infectious disease. This was a great chance for students to learn how researchers trace the spread of disease among a population in a real world scenario.”
Updates: Alumni
Victoria Lynch, PhD ‘22
Peggy (Pei Yang) Hsieh, MPH ‘19
Peggy presented an ArcGIS storymap titled, "African/African Ancestry Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes" at GIS Day 2024. The storymap raises awareness of health disparities affecting African/ African Ancestry mothers and infants in Santa Clara County.
Thestorymapispubliclyavailablehere!
“Large floods drive changes in causespecific mortality in the United States,” ledbyDr.VictoriaLynch,a postdoctoralresearchfellow,was recentlyreleasedinNatureMedicine. Thepaperfoundthatoverthelast20 years,largefloodswereassociated withupto25%higherdeathrates frommajormortalitycausesinthe U.S.comparedtonormalconditions. Untilnow,therehadbeenacritical knowledgegapaboutcause-specific floodmortalityrisksintheU.S.over time,andhowrisksmayvaryamong groupswithinthepopulation.
Updates: Staff
Yunjia Lai, Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Dr.Lai,undertheadvisoryofDr.GaryW.Miller,wasthefirstauthorof therecentScienceSignalingJournalarticleentitled"Biotin mitigates the development of manganese-induced, Parkinson’s disease-related neurotoxicity in Drosophila and human neurons."Manganeseisvitalfor numerouscellularfunctions,butprolongedexposurecanleadtoa neurodegenerativeconditionwithsymptomsresemblingParkinson’s disease.
In this study, the Miller Lab, in collaboration with Dr. Souvarish Sarkar’s team at the University of Rochester, developed an adult Drosophila model to study manganese induced parkinsonism and identified disruptions in biotin (vitamin B7) metabolism as a key mechanism underlying its neurotoxicity. Manganese exposure reduced the amount of “free” or bioavailable biotin, which resulted in neuronal loss and mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction in the brain and impaired motor function. Supplementing the flies’ diet with biotin alongside manganese exposure prevented these effects. The cellular effects were reproduced in cultured human dopaminergic neurons. The findings suggest that supplementary biotin may be a preventive intervention for at risk individuals.
ThisworkwasfeaturedasaCoverArticleinScienceSignaling.
Group Spotlight
Destigmatizing Mental Health Through an Artistic Exhibit “Coming Fall 2025”
MSstudentandstaffmember, Carolina Montes Garcia,alongwitha dedicatedteamincluding Jaime Benavides,PhD, Lewis Ziska,PhD, Kathrin Schilling,PhD, Marisa Sobel,MPHandPhDCandidate,and consultant Dawn DeVito,hasbeenawarded$15,000.00throughthe ColumbiaUniversityMentalHealthInitiative’s(MHI)pilotgrantprogram, "Capturing Perspectives on Mental Health. "Thisinitiativesupports projectsthatexplorediverseperspectivesonmentalwell-beingthrough artistic,academic,andcreativeapproaches.
Set to take place in Fall 2025, this project will bring an art exhibition focused on mental health to the Mailman School of Public Health, inviting students, faculty, staff, and researchers to submit visual art, photography, digital media, and sculpture that reflect their experiences and insights on mental well-being. Curated by Dawn DeVito, Director of Events and Marketing at Culture Lab LIC, the exhibit will feature a panel discussion and provide time for participants to engage in an open discussion about their art practice.
This project is part of Columbia's broader Mental Health Initiative (MHI), which aims to enhance the university's impact on mental health through education, research, and community engagement. The team looks forward to engaging the department and the broader school community in this exciting project and will share more details as the call for submissions launches in September 2025.
Spotlight: Alumni
Gabe Trotz, MPH ‘24
GabeacceptedapositionwithNewYork-Presbyterian HospitalthispastFall.Heisworkingwiththeir EnvironmentalHealthandSafetyteamtoensureasafe environmentforpatients,visitors,andstaff,aswellas ensuringcomplianceoflaboratories,pharmacies,and hospitalfacilitieswithlocal,state,andfederalagency requirements.Workingtogetherwithhismanager, Sasha Berns,aDrPHcandidateandEHSMPHalumnus,andhis colleagues,Gabetacklesawiderangeofissuesinthehospital environment,fromrespondingtowaterintrusioneventsto conductingjobhazardanalysesthroughoutthecampus.Gabe iscurrentlyservingasaCapstoneAdvisorforagroupofEHS studentsatNYP,workingwiththemonaprojectthataimsto reducethevolumeofregulatedmedicalwasteproducedby thehospital.Thestudentsassessedcurrentregulatedmedical wastesegregationpracticesacrossnineunitsinthehospital, createdwastesignage,andeducatedstaffonproper segregationpractices.Thestudentswillre-assesstheunits post-interventiontoexaminetheimpactsoftheireffortson regulatedmedicalwastegeneration.Gabeisalsoassistingthe Anesthesiologydepartmentinassessingtheefficiencyofthe hospital’s piped N2O system.
Letter from SEA
Meet The New Executive SEA Board
Dear EHS family and beyond,
We are thrilled to introduce the Students for Environmental Action Executive Board for 2025-26! We are excited to build on the work of our predecessors and take the club to new heights.
From left to right
Jade Allmon 1st Year MPH in EHS, Campus Groups Coordinator
Narmin Guluzade 1st Year MPH in EHS, President
Neena Madhure 1st Year MPH in EHS, Vice President
With the first General Body Meeting behind us, we have begun engaging with our members and outlining our vision for the year ahead. Our key priorities include:
• Member engagement creating opportunities for networking, learning, and collaboration.
• Capacity building for members offering resources to prepare for the evolving job market.
• Sustainability of the club ensuring continuity and impact beyond this term.
• Expanding the club’s influence fostering partnerships and collaborations across all schools of Columbia University.
Letter from SEA
To achieve these goals, we need your support! Here’s how you can help in three simple steps:
• Follow us on Instagram (@seacolumbia)andCampusGroupstostayupdated oneventsandinitiatives.
• Help us grow our network – Ifyouknowpotentialpartnersforcollaboration (including yourself!),pleasecontributetoourinformationsheettosustain meaningfulconnections.
• Spread the word – Tellyourpeers,professors,andcolleaguesaboutSEA!
We believe that despite the challenging times for environmental health, together we can make this a fruitful year for SEA and do our part in protecting our planet for future generations. Thank you for your support we can’t wait to continue this journey with you!
With love,
Students for Environmental Action E Board 2025 26 Jade, Narmin and Neena
Sewell Lecture
Dr. Cheryl A.M. Anderson, Professor and Founding Dean of the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, delivered a presentation titled “Traveling the Last Mile: The Road to the Global Impact of Healthy Diets on Cardiovascular Health” on March 10th.
Watch the Recording Here! (link will open a new window.)
In Remembrance
Dickson D. Despommier, 1940 2025
Dickson Despommier, Emeritus Professor of Public Health and Microbiology at Columbia University, has made lasting contributions to Environmental Health Sciences through his work on the impacts of human encroachment into natural systems, particularly deforestation for agriculture. He is best known for developing the concept of vertical farming, an urban agriculture model designed to produce food in tall buildings within densely populated cities. This approach addresses environmental degradation while promoting sustainable food production. His vision extends to reimagining future cities as eco systems capable of recycling water, food, and energy paving the way for long term urban sustainability.
Travel Fund: Recipients
Jocelyn Dicent, PhD Candidate
“Using the department's travel fund, I attended the Society of Toxicology annual meeting in Orlando. I presented a poster on my current research progress and had numerous fruitful conversations with collaborators, other professors, and other trainees. Overall, I had a positive experience at the conference and I'm excited to go again next year!”
Dr. Wil Lieberman Cribbin, Post Doc
“Thanks to the EHS travel fund, I was able to attend the International Society for Exposure Science 2024 annual meeting to learn about "Exposures that Impact Health in Vulnerable Populations". During this experience I was able to connect with other environmental health scientists in government and academia to learn ongoing research on environmental exposures and extreme weather events affecting populations in the U.S. and internationally. I was able to present my work as an oral presentation on "The association of uranium in drinking water and urine in the Strong Heart Study", where we predicted urinary uranium concentrations from concentrations measured in drinking water, and highlighted the importance of further reducing uranium exposure in affected communities.”
Travel Fund: Recipients
Alexis Grayon, MPH 2nd Year
“I was given the opportunity to attend the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. with the support of the EHS Travel Fund. I presented my research on disparities in maternal and birth outcomes in Environmental Justice Areas in NYC to conference attendees from across the country (including some Mailman alumni!). The audience was largely comprised of maternal and child health professionals most of whom recognized the importance of environmental health but were less knowledgeable on the injustices and resolution efforts. I’m honored to have earned my spot on the poster board with other professionals and leaders, especially as the conference leadership emphasized youth and student involvement in public health spaces. The conference theme was “Partnering for Impact”, and the vastly interdisciplinary setting and company made every conversation feel moving and impactful.”
SHARP Summer Workshops
Registration is now open for summer trainings in 30 topics ranging from omics, data science, environmental health, and professional development.
Columbia affiliates, including Mailman alumni, receive a 10% discount.
Explore Trainings
Trainings with EHS Faculty
• Bayesian Modeling for Environmental Health Workshop (Robbie Parks)
• Climate Change and Health Boot Camp (Cecilia Sorensen, Frederica Perera)
• Environmental Mixtures Workshop (Marianthi -Anna Kioumourtzoglou)
• Epigenetics Boot Camp (Allison Kupsco)
• Exposome Boot Camp (Gary Miller, Randolph Reyes Singh)
• GIS Workshop (Jeremy Porter, Joel Capellan)
• Life Cycle Assessment Boot Camp (Cecilia Sorensen)
• PI Crash Course (Diane Re, Ana Navas -Acien, Matthew Perzanowski)
• Radiation Safety Officer Training (Norman Kleiman)
• The Scientist and the Storyteller Workshop (Julie Herbstman)
Publications
Pleasecheckoutsomeoftheamazingworkbeingpublishedbyour community!Thesepublicationsarelistedinchronologicalorder,by initialpublication.Faculty,students,andstaffnamesare bolded: Wu, H. C., Lai, Y.,Liao,Y., Deyssenroth, M., Miller, G. W., Santella, R. M.,& Terry, M. B. (2024).Plasmametabolomicsprofilesandbreast cancerrisk. Breast cancer research : BCR, 26(1),141. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-024-01896-5
Medgyesi, D. N.,Bangia,K.,Spielfogel,E.S.,Fisher,J.A.,Madrigal,J. M.,Jones,R.R.,Ward,M.H.,Lacey,J.V.,Jr,& Sanchez, T. R. (2024).
Long-TermExposuretoArsenicinCommunityWaterSuppliesand RiskofCardiovascularDiseaseamongWomenintheCalifornia TeachersStudy.Environmentalhealthperspectives,132(10),107006. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14410
McGraw, K. E., Domingo-Relloso, A.,Riggs,D.W., Medgyesi, D. N., Neupane,R.,Stingone,J.A.,& Sanchez, T. R. (2025).Exposureto VolatileOrganicCompoundsandBloodPressureinNHANES2011to 2018.Hypertension(Dallas,Tex.:1979),82(1),136–148.https:// doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.23695
Glabonjat, R. A., Schilling, K., Slavkovich, V. N., Izuchukwu, C. N., Balac, O.,Dubey,S.,Nandakumar,R.,Galvez-Fernandez,M., Anderson, W. A., Spaur, M. S., Sobel, M. H., Nigra, A. E., Sanchez, T. R.,Jones,M.R.,& Navas-Acien, A.(2024).Arsenicspeciationanalysis inhumanurineforlongtermepidemiologicalstudies:TheMultiEthnicStudyofAtherosclerosis(MESA).Environmentalresearch, 262(Pt1),119833.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.119833
Koehne,N.H., Locke, A. R.,Alley,A.A., Ramey, M. D.,Namiri,N.K., Dhanjani,S.,Yendluri,A.,Waterman,B.R.,Sherman,S.L.,&Parisien, R.L.(2024).Increasingincidenceofconcussionandheadinjurydue toelectricbiking:a10-yearsex-andage-specificanalysisofnational injurydata.ThePhysicianandsportsmedicine,1–6.Advance onlinepublication.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2024.2440309
Kehm,R.D.,Vilfranc,C.L.,McDonald,J.A.,& Wu, H. C. (2025). County-LevelFoodInsecurityandHepatocellularCarcinomaRisk:A Cross-SectionalAnalysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(1),120. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010120
Shea, B.,Meltzer,G.Y., Steiger, B. B., Parks, R., Do, V., McBrien, H., Flores, N., Gordon, M.,Blake,E.,& Casey, J. (2025).Co-occurring climateeventsandenvironmentaljusticeinCalifornia,2018-2019. Environmental research, health : ERH, 3(2),021001. https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5309/ada96f
Locke, A. R.,Koehne,N.H., Ramey, M. D.,Oxner,J.L.,Yendluri,A., Megafu,M.N.,Corvi,J.J.,Namiri,N.K.,Kelly,J.D.,4th,&Parisien,R.L. (2025).TheStatisticalFragilityofTreatmentsforAdhesive Capsulitis:ASystematicReviewofRandomizedControlledTrials. Journalofshoulderandelbowsurgery,S1058-2746(25)00121-1. Advanceonlinepublication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2024.12.047
Locke, A. R.,Koehne,N.H., Ramey, M. D.,Corvi,J.J.,Alley,A.A., Yendluri,A.,Song,J.,Namiri,N.K.,Enabulelu,O.,Waterman,B.R.,Li, X.,&Parisien,R.L.(2025).Theriseinelectricbiking(E-Bike) injuries:a10-yearageandsex-specificanalysisofnationalinjury data.ThePhysicianandSportsmedicine, 10.1080/00913847.2025.2470104.Advanceonlinepublication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2025.2470104
Koehne,N.H., Locke, A. R.,Schroen,C.A., Ramey, M.,&Hausman,M. R.(2024).Randomizedtrialsevaluatingvolarlockingplatesagainst castingofdistalradiusfracturesarestatisticallyfragile:Asystematic review.Journaloforthopaedics,64,91–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jor.2024.11.014
WeenjoysharingnewsaboutourEHSFamily withthecommunityandwewanttohearfromyou!
Pleasesendusinformationaboutyouraccomplishments, awards,presentations,publications,pictures, andanynoteworthyEHSupdatesyou’dliketoshare.
EmailNinaKulacki atnjk2128@columbia.edu withyoursubmissions.
Welookforwardtohearingfromyou. Bewellandkeepintouch!