EHS Department Newsletter Fall 2025
Letter from the Chair
Dear EHS Family:
It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce the Fall 2025 EHS Newsletter. This semester has been exceptional, filled with resiliency, growth, and dedication at every level of the department. As you read through these lines, I hope you feel the same pride I do in our amazing EHS community.
Education is one of my passions, and I am honored to be teaching this semester. It’s a joy to see students in the classroom and witness the dynamic interactions and critical feedback they give each other. I’m confident that the steady progress I see in my classroom each week is reflected across all our courses. Monday Seminars are my favorite part of the week for this very reason to see the work and progress of our students and trainees in real time is stimulating. I particularly enjoyed watching our master’s students present on their Applied Practice Experiences (APEx) in October. In addition to the high-quality presentations, there was a powerful sense of community. I warmly invite our master’s students to continue joining our EHS Monday Seminars. I eagerly await the upcoming presentations from our doctoral students, who have been offering exceptional feedback and questions all semester.
Beyond Columbia’s campus, our faculty and postdocs continue to make their mark nationally and internationally. Engaging with the world outside of EHS is necessary, now more than ever. Our faculty and trainees have been highly visible at meetings such as the AAAS, ISES-ISEE 2025, Climate Week NYC 2025, World Health Summit 2025, Tribal Meetings in the Great Plains, Genomics meets Exposomics at the Mendel Museum, Conference on Metal Toxicity and Carcinogenesis, and soon at COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil. Thank you to the EHS team for that extra effort to share our top-level science and creativity all around the world.
As the end of the semester draws closer, I encourage everyone to be mindful of work-life balance. While the work we do in our classes and labs is important, making sure we take care of ourselves and maintain our bonds with each other is just as necessary. The fall semester offers wonderful opportunities to connect with the department, with community building events such as the EHS Chili Cook Off, the Art as Medicine exhibition, and the EHS Holiday Party. Whether you choose to relax within the department or outside of it, my hope is the same that our people are in good health and in good company.
Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, MPH
Leon Hess Professor and Chair Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Updates: Students
Sabah Usmani, PhD Candidate
Recently selected as a Graduate Research Fellow for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council 9/11 Memorial Program for Regional Transportation Planning (2025–2026). In collaboration with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), Sabah will examine how street projects influence health outcomes extending her doctoral research at Columbia University on the intersections of urban design, transportation, and public health. Here is a link to the fellowship announcement!
Updates: Alumni
Irene
Martinez-Morata, PhD
Superfund Research Program trainee and former doctoral student, Irene has accepted a new position with Vital Strategies as an epidemiologist. She will be working with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative.
Kat Morgan, MPH
Kat and Carina Yiu, mentored by Dr. Lew Ziska and in collaboration with members of the former U.S. Department of State Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils working group, are excited to announce the acceptance of their manuscript, "Locally Adapted Rhizobia Strains for Sahelian Nutritional Security," to the journal Sustainable Microbiology.
This review involved transdisciplinary analysis and synthesis of research across the fields of agronomy, environmental health, microbiology, epigenetics, and public policy. The manuscript highlights the potential of locally adapted rhizobia inoculants to enhance agricultural sustainability and nutrition security in the region, emphasizing the need for community-based research, supportive policies, and investment in local capacity building.
To the authors' knowledge, this manuscript provides the first comprehensive framework on this topic, outlining a need for (1) selection of indigenous rhizobia strains optimized for nitrogen fixation and abiotic stress tolerance, (2) matching inoculants with regionally important but underutilized legumes, and (3) ethical considerations for developing inoculant formulations to enhance field performance.
Updates: Alumni
Wil Lieberman-Cribbin, PhD
Superfund Research Program trainee and former doctoral student, Wil has accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
Spotlights: Faculty
Dr. Norman Kleiman
Dr. Kleiman was recognized at the 2025 Failla Memorial Dinner and Lecture for his radiological research. The annual event is cosponsored by the Greater New York Chapter of the Health Physics Society and the Radiological and Medical Physics Society of New York.
Spotlights: Student
Laila Gad, 2nd Year MPH
Congratulations to Laila, a former PrIMER Trainee and current 2nd year MPH student in EHS. Laila was recently accepted into Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where she will pursue Family Medicine.
“Driven by my interests in climate and health, my time at Mailman has allowed me to explore how I can work with community members to increase climate health literacy in older adult populations. I am very grateful for the support I received from various faculty members! ” - Laila
Doctoral Graduates
Dr. Riley’s thesis focused on “Environmental Health Monitoring of Air Pollutants and Flame Retardants: Measurements, Communication, and Health Implications” Kylie Wheelock Riley defended on April 29th, 2025
Dr. Sobel’s thesis focused on “Cadmium exposure in the United States: Environmental sources and its effect on chronic lower respiratory disease” Marisa Sobel defended on June 12th, 2025
Nina Flores defended on June 30th, 2025
Dr. Flores’s thesis focused on “Mold in a Changing Climate –Implications for Fungal Exposures and Asthma Morbidity in New York City Public Housing”
Dr. Do’s thesis focused on “Shedding light on power outages as a climate change-related and health-relevant exposure ” Vivian Do defended on August 8th, 2025
Sasha Berns defended on September 8th, 2025
Her thesis focused on “From injury to insight: Evaluating a hospital system's efforts to create a safer workplace”
Meet Our New Students: PhD
Imke Folkerts
Hometown: Saint James, NY
Previous School: Columbia University
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, skiing, crossword puzzles, trivia games, and drinking copious amounts of coffee
Emily Weaver
Hometown: Austin, TX
Previous School: Columbia University
Hobbies/Interests: Yoga, cooking and baking, reading
Meet Our New Students: DrPH
Vivian (Julia) Belenky
Sabrina Epou
Hometown: Lomé, Togo & Saint Paul, MN
Previous School: New York University
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking Togolese cuisine and traveling the world.
Meet Our New Students: DrPH
Angela (Ran) Meng
Hometown: Beijing, China
Previous School: Columbia University
Hobbies/Interests: I love travelling and watching movies. Another fun fact: I lived in Vancouver, Canada for 5 years.
Ellen Webb-Friedman
Hometown: Essex, MA
Previous School: Mailman, MPH, Health Policy & Management (MPH 2010)
Hobbies/Interests: When not reading about interesting new topics in environmental health, I enjoy fiction and documentaries. I also love creative pursuits (such as sculpture and jewelrymaking), exploring new cultural experiences through travel, new cuisine and cooking, reading, and spending time with my two children, family, and friends!
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Zhengfei Bian
Certificate: Global Health
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Previous School: Bowdoin College
Hobbies/Interests: Crochet and visual arts Shane Araujo
Certificate: Health of an Aging Society
Hometown: Xi’an, China
Previous School: Cornell University
Hobbies/Interests: Relax Hiking
Kimberly Boateng
Certificate: Social Determinants Of Health
Hometown: Springfield, VA
Previous School: Columbia University
Hobbies/Interests: I’m into psychological thrillers, spooky stories, and long walks. I’m getting back into reading starting with horror.
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Alana Caluwe
Certificate: Climate And Health
Hometown: Boston, MA
Previous School: Northeastern University
Hobbies/Interests: Pottery, yoga, hiking & camping, nature, desserts (all of them)
Certificate: Epidemiology of Population Mental Health
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Previous School: University of California, Los Angeles
Hobbies/Interests: Running, thrifting, movies, eating food, comedy shows, gardening, reading, drawing, and Pilates.
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Certificate: Social Determinants of Health
Previous School: New York University
Hobbies/Interests: I love the New York Liberty and the entire WNBA! I also love live music, nature, Halloween, and cats. :)
Briana Camacho
Grace Cammarata
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Gabriela Daza
Certificate: Climate And Health
Hometown: Bellmore, NY
Previous School: University of Pennsylvania
Hobbies/Interests: I like doing yoga, knitting, and dancing. I also have a dog named Benji!
Mfon Diduff
Certificate: Sexuality, Sexual & Reproductive Health
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Previous School: Bates College
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, singing, enjoy nature walks, and cooking
Jeremias Iraheta
Certificate: Environmental Health Policy
Hometown: Houston, TX
Previous School: University of Houston
Hobbies/Interests: I’m really into video games, movies & TV shows, and I love reading particularly fantasy, comics, and books on urban planning.
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Ryan Kao
Certificate: Epidemiology Of Chronic Disease
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan & Vancouver, Canada
Previous School: University of Toronto
Hobbies/Interests: All kinds of sports, e.g. Ice Hockey, Badminton, and instruments such as the violin.
Siying Li
Certificate: Toxicology
Hometown: Beijing, China & San Diego, CA
Previous School: University of California San Diego
Hobbies/Interests: Snowboarding
Sixuan Li
Certificate: Toxicology
Hometown: Beijing, China & San Diego, CA
Previous School: University of California San Diego
Hobbies/Interests: Golf (avid amateur)
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Certificate: Environmental Health Policy
Hometown: Weston, MA
Previous School: Colgate University
Hobbies/Interests: Needle felting Alexa Lim
Certificate: Climate and Health
Hometown: Queens, NY
Previous School: CUNY Hunter College
Hobbies/Interests: Avid soccer fan. Love anything outdoors and exploring diverse foods/cuisines, but I'm also a major homebody (oh, the irony).
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Previous School: NYU
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking Mowaninuolaoluwa Omotoso
Mariah Omadutt
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Cameron Pitts
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Previous School: University of California, Irvine
Hobbies/Interests: Dancing, wrestling, video games, national parks, cooking, and anime.
Abhiyudh Rajput
Certificate: Climate and Health
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Previous School: University of Rochester
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, curating music, photography
Bridget Riley
Certificate: Health And Human Rights
Hometown: Cortland, NY
Previous School: University of Rochester
Hobbies/Interests: In my free time I love to dance, bake, travel and read!
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Rebecca (Linhan)
Wang
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Hometown: Shandong, China
Previous School: Imperial College of London
Hobbies/Interests: I love photography and exploring local eats, and on my days off I cook and watch movies.
Yi'qiao Wang
Certificate: Epidemiology Of Chronic Disease
Hometown: China
Previous School: North Carolina State University
Hobbies/Interests: I like to go exercising either at home or at the gym in my free time, like after class. Also, I like some friend to play Minecraft or Terraria in the weekend.
Hanning Wang
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Hometown: Beijing, China
Previous School: Peking University Health Science Center
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy reading novels, currently lost in the mystical world of 'Lord of the Mysteries'! My happy places: Freshly organized spaces or craft tables overflowing with creative chaos.
Meet Our New Students: MPH
Astrid (Xinyi) Xu
Certificate: Applied Biostatistics And Public Health Data Science
Hometown: China
Previous School: University of Washington
Hobbies/Interests: Horror movies, video games, reptile pets, and family travel
Meet Our New Students: MPH Dual
Hometown: Summit, NJ
Previous School: Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs
Hobbies/Interests: Skiing, cooking, hiking, and traveling! Laila Shushtarian
Meet Our New Students: MS Data Science
Sijda Ahmed
Hometown: Jamaica, Queens, NY
Previous School: Barnard College
Hobbies/Interests: Painting, board games, and singing
Maya Arnott
Hometown: New York, NY
Previous School: Washington University in St. Louis
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy various sports (tennis, basketball, and running), reading, watching movies, and listening/sharing music.
Yiming Cao
Hometown: Wuhan, China
Previous School: University of California, Davis
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy playing table tennis and basketball
Meet Our New Students: MS Data Science
Minseo Kim
Hometown: Jiangsu, China
Previous School: Duke Kunshan University
Hobbies/Interests: Photography, guitar, and hiking Zichen Fan
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Previous School: Boston University
Hobbies/Interests: Photography and walks in the park
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Previous School: University of Washington
Hobbies/Interests: Reading, oceanography, travel Casandra Jade Laney
Meet Our New Students: MS Data Science
Hometown: Zhoushan, China
Previous School: Zhejiang University
Hobbies/Interests: Photography, swimming, hiking Xinyin Miao
Qian (Teresa) Sha
Karolina Wiesiolek
Hometown: Olsztyn, Poland
Previous School: Columbia University School of General Studies
Hobbies/Interests: I run a lot (currently prepping for my 2nd NYC Marathon) and I absolutely love animals - I am a mom to two gorgeous bunnies.
Meet Our New Students: MS Toxicology
Daniel Aguilar
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Previous School: John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy going to concerts, practicing archery, or taking a walk through Central Park after work.
Leslie Delgado Muniz
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Previous School: Barnard College
Hobbies/Interests: I love the outdoors, and enjoy hiking and backpacking. When I'm not outside, I enjoy watching movies!
Rexhina Myslymi
Hometown: Waterbury, CT
Previous School: Post University
Hobbies/Interests: Outside of work and school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, hiking, Latin Ballroom dance, going to the beach, traveling, cooking, exploring new restaurants/ speakeasy, Broadway shows/concerts, listening to music, reading thriller drama books. Enjoy crafting centerpieces, decorations, and wreaths for holidays, bridal/baby showers, hosting dinners, weddings, etc.
Meet Our New Students: MS Toxicology
Allison Simoni
Chloe Olsen
Hometown: Sonoma, CA
Previous School: UC Berkeley
Hobbies/Interests: Soccer and climbing
Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
Previous School: UC Davis
Hobbies/Interests: Crafting, yoga, reading, horror movies, nature walks
Isabella Thiara
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Previous School: UC Santa Cruz
Hobbies/Interests: I enjoy being outside, gardening, and reading!
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Anisa Andriyari
Certificate: Climate & Health
University of Geneva
Location: New York (remote work)
Jade Allmon
Certificate: EnvironmentalHealthPolicy
Organization: AmiZotaThriveLab
Location: CUIMC
Description: IamapartoftheThriveLab,an environmentalandbeautyjusticelabhereinEHS, whichfocusesonchemicals(suchasEDCs)in personalcareproducts.Myrolethissummeristo researchhowbrandsmarketpersonalcareproducts toconsumersandtousethisasalenstoanalyzereal datacollectedonpersonalcareproductsina previousstudy.Iamperformingaliteraturereview anddevelopingcodetoscrapethisdata,then analyzeit.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Went toPuertoRicoforaweekend!
Organization: Institute of Global Health,
Description: I am responsible for conducting a literature review, interviewing key stakeholders, and analyzing how different community food provision models in NYC are impacted by climate and economic pressures. The research focuses on comparing the adaptability and resilience of charitybased food programs vs. food-focused social enterprises.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Traveling and going to concerts.
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Alexandra Carlin
Certificate: Toxicology
Marie Caiola
Certificate: Environmental Health Policy
Organization: Silent Spring Institute
Location: Boston, MA
Description: This summer at the Silent Spring Institute, I’m conducting a literature review to identify effective strategies residents can use to reduce housing-related environmental health hazards, focusing on lead, allergens, and various chemical exposures such as VOCs, SVOCs, flame retardants, and PAHs. I’m also analyzing household dust and urine data from the HUD-funded ROC HOME Study and supporting data cleaning and analysis in collaboration with research scientists at the Institute.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Went to Menorca to visit my best friend
Organization: AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Description: I am responsible for scheduling patient appointments, helping patients with insurance and housing applications, and with scrubbing daily provider schedules. I am also working on an intern project focused on workplace collaboration in order to improve patient retention rates.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: My favorite thing I did this summer was help set-up and run AHF's float at Brooklyn Pride.
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Laila Gad
Charlie (Chun-Kai) Chang
Certificate: Toxicology
Organization: ColumbiaUniversity
Location: ColumbiaUniversityMailman Campus
Description: Iamworkinginthelabwith Dr.Reandherteam,studyingtheeffectsthat vapeaerosolshaveonthebrain.Mymain responsibilitiesarecellstainingrelated.Ialso helpwithothertasksliketakingpicturesofthe stainedcellsunderthemicroscope. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: WenttoVegasandgambled.
Certificate: Health of an Aging Society Organization: Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
Location: Various Senior Centers across NY
Description: I am the lead on developing a curriculum for a series of workshops that are being held at senior centers across NYC. I reach out to senior centers to form partnerships between them and the Mailman/Aging Center for consistent programming on how to prevent heat-related illnesses and access low cost cooling resources. Additionally, I present for 45 minutes on different heat-related topics and hand out infographics. I have been to centers in BK and NYC (and hopefully Staten Island).
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: I loved going to the Diana H. Jones center in Bushwick and learning how to salsa with the older adults!
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Mitsuye Hardy
Certificate: Toxicology
Organization: Antora Energy
Location: San Jose, CA
Narmin Guluzade
Certificate: Public Health Research Methods
Organization: Pan American Health Organization
Location: Remote
Description: I supported the update of the database on sodium reduction policies across the Region, specifically in Caribbean countries.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Summer is not over yet :)
Description: I run exposure monitoring for the research and development and manufacturing site. After data is collected I create toxicology reports to present to participants and leaders. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Went on a boat with friends
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Gillian (Sachi) Kaneshiro
Ana Hernandez Vega
Certificate: Toxicology
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Location: California
Description: I spent Summer 2025 working alongside Dr. Carly Hyland from UC Berkeley. I conducted a pilot study looking at farmworker time activity patterns to better understand the labor activities farmworkers are enduring and informing pesticide risk assessment models in California. I recruited participants, conducted surveys, and collected data through both quantitative and qualitative methods. Now, I am collaborating with OEHA on writing a paper of the study findings.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Traveling across California with my coworkers
Certificate: MolecularEpidemiology
Organization: METALLabatColumbiaUniversity
Location: NewYork,NY
Description: IworkedwithDr.Schillingtoinvestigatevaginalexposuretometalsfrom menstrualproducts.Tamponuseischronicandapproximately~1.8billionpeopleglobally menstruateeachmonth.Iquantifiedthemetalcontentofmenstrualproductssourcedfrom25 countriesrepresenting6continentsandcollecteddataonmetalabsorptionbyvaginalcells.We aimtopublishapaperonthetopic,inwhichIdraftedamanuscriptandanalyzedthedata. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Runningintootherstudentsinthedepartmentand beingabletolearnabouttheirresearchthroughconversationandshadowing.
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Katherine Koritz
Maia Kelly
Certificate: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Organization: Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
Location: Hybrid: New York City / Mexico City
Description: As a summer vector control research intern at MSF's Central America and Mexico Integrated Office (CAMINO), I support ongoing operational research activities focused on arbovirus prevention in Honduras. I am assisting with qualitative data analysis, literature reviews, and report writing for a recent study investigating the acceptability and efficacy of a combined vector control approach, using targeted indoor residual spraying and pyriproxyfen discs, for dengue outbreak response in urban Tegucigalpa.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Traveled for two weeks to the MSF CAMINO coordination office in Mexico City!
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Organization: WE ACT
Location: West Harlem
Description: For my APEx, I am working with the Environmental Health team at WE ACT on their Community Air Monitoring Project (CAMP). I am collaborating with the team to develop a quality assurance/quality control plan as well as a data analysis plan for Phase Two of CAMP. I am also developing data visualizations that can be shared with community members during WE ACT's monthly membership meetings.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: My favorite thing I did this summer was exploring more of West Harlem and the city in general.
Kacey Langston
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Certificate: Climate & Health
Organization: Environmental Working Group
Location: Remote
Description: As an intern, I evaluated regenerative agriculture certifications and company claims to identify gaps in standards, oversight, and communication. I researched and analyzed existing regenerative certification programs, comparing their standards, verification protocols, and auditing practices, while assessing how companies are using the term “regenerative.” Based on this analysis, I helped create a consumer-facing certification decoder and led an internal lunch-and-learn session to share the findings with the EWG team. I also collaborated on a public-facing blog post to promote transparency and stronger environmental standards across regenerative claims.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: My favorite thing I did this summer was go on a road trip with my mom and my dog. We drove from Florida to New York with stops along the way in Savannah, GA, Asheville, NC, and Charlottesville, VA.
Neena Madhure
Certificate: Environmental Health Policy
Organization: Columbia Center for Children's
Environmental Health
Location: New York, NY
Description: I am currently working on a paper that will hopefully be published regarding the importance of providing individualized reports to study participants, including lessons learned, what to include, and what may not need to be emphasized. I am also participating in any community partnership and strengthening activity that is available to me through the center, including working in a community garden with a middle school in the Bronx, along with tabling an event with the Dominican Women's Development group.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: My favorite thing I did this summer was hanging out with all my friends, old and new!
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Victor Musa
Alex Olivares
Certificate: Toxicology
Certificate: Environmental Health Policy
Organization: Columbia Environmental Health & Safety
Location: New York, NY
Description: Some of my responsibilities include assessing and mitigating health hazards in 3D Printing through research, collecting samples from diverse sites including labs, and measuring data. I am also developing an education resource to help provide awareness and safety practices for people that work in that environment.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: This is my first summer in New York. And one of my favorite things I have done so far is taking my family (wife and kids) on a hop-on hop-off New York bus tour, it was an amazing experience for all us.
Organization: Children’s Center
Location: Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Description: I’m working on a data analysis project with the Children’s Center. This requires me to do some background research on endocrine disrupting chemical exposures over time as well as some statistical analysis on an existing dataset Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Learn how to code better!
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Mansi Shah
Ashmitha Seshadri
Certificate: Toxicology
Organization: Insight Exposure & Risk Sciences
Location: Remote
Description: For my Apex, I will be working with Insight Exposure & Risk Assessment Sciences, a scientific consulting firm focused on addressing challenges associated with chemical and biological exposures and health risks in both workplace and community settings. Throughout the summer, I will perform literature searches to understand the toxicological, epidemiological, and regulatory implications of different chemicals to write reports assessing the risk from exposures. Additionally, I will be involved in writing a research manuscript assessing potential exposures to asbestos from a talcum powder containing wood filler. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: I enjoyed getting to learn how to model inhalation and dermal exposures to benzene.
Certificate: Climate & Health
Organization: Columbia Mailman EHS
Location: Remote
Description: I worked with people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda to do research and conducted a literature review personally. I helped write a narrative review on climate change and food systems in East Africa. I submitted this paper, and we are awaiting a response. I assisted in protocol and SOP development for deploying heat sensors to monitor occupational heat exposure in agricultural settings
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: I went to India and visited my grandparents.
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Han Soros
Certificate: Climate & Health
Organization: Blue Hill at Stone Barnes
Location: Tarrytown, NY
Description: My responsibilities include researching, preparing reports, and making proposals for how the work at the Blue Hill restaurant and the Stone Barns agricultural center could be used for broader-scale food systems benefits. My work has primarily revolved around how the nutritional quality and flavor of the whole wheat sandwich bread served in public schools could be improved and how Blue Hill could go about creating such a product through partnerships with local growers, mills, and bakeries. I have also investigated the nutritional qualities, climate-resilience, and local applications of tartary buckwheat, and have explored novel freezing and thawing methods that could preserve the quality of meat products preserved via cold storage. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Connecting and collaborating with the other research interns and staff of Blue Hill and Stone Barns.
Xiaoyu Sun
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Organization: NYC DEP
Location: Queens, NY
Description: Quality Assurance & Data
Review: Conducted agency-wide review of EHS incident investigation data to evaluate alignment between root cause analyses and associated corrective/preventive actions. Risk Categorization & Trend Analysis: Classified incidents by EHS program area and assessed risk prevalence and trends to support regulatory compliance and strategic planning. Field & Professional Engagement: Participated in on-site EHS assessments, facility tours, safety awareness initiatives, and attended webinars to deepen operational understanding. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Joined the Safety Day event in DEP and went to audits in the Water treatment plant.
Practicum Portraits: MPH
Audrey Wong
Certificate: Climate & Health
Natalie VanderNoot
Certificate: Molecular Epidemiology
Organization: ToxStrategies
Location: Remote/Brooklyn, NY
Description: My team provides litigation support to environmental lawyers working on lawsuits related to a variety of environmental health topics. I work on research for risk assessments and review legal case materials to support a scientific opinion on the case. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Conducted my own literature review and hazard ID studying microplastics, continuing my interests from EDHII!
Organization: New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV)
Location: New York, NY
Description: My responsibilities include searching for NY public school reports on lead levels and extracting data from them. I’ve assisted staff with other projects such as supporting election campaigns for candidates environmental policy, extracting location data for lead service lines, and interviewing neighborhoods on lead and environmental issues.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: I have explored more parks in NYC.
Practicum Portraits: MS DS
Yutong Chen
Track: Data Science
Arghya Kannadaguli
Track: DataScience
Organization: Department of Environmental Health Science, Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Description: I web scraped the water contaminants data and then estimate the metal contaminants
Organization: WuLab,ColumbiaUniversity
Location: NewYork,NY
Description: Dataanalysis,modeling,geospatialanalysis. Performingdatacleaning,statisticalanalysis,andvisualizations toresearchenvironmentalhealthdata.Utilizinglinear/logistic regression,principalcomponentanalysis,high-dimensional statisticalanalyses,etc.Providinggeospatialsupportincluding HIPAAcompliantgeocoding,compilingandorganizingdata, creatingvisualizationsforinternalcommunications,and interpolatingspatialairpollutiondata.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: VisitedRockaway Beachwithfriends,attacos,andnappedinthesun.
Practicum Portraits: MS DS
Brooklynn McNeil
Track: Data Science
Dylan Morgan
Track: Data Science
Organization: University of Columbia
Location: New York, NY
Description: I work as a chemist in the Biomarkers Core Laboratory within the Center for Innovative Exposomics. I am working with Randolph and the Billion Oyster Project to design a project that will study the chemical bioaccumulation of oysters in the New York City Harbor. This will involve the deployment and collection of oysters, chemical detection, and analysis of the data. I hope to show competency in the chemical analysis of POPs, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, metals and more with nontarget analysis as well as statistical analysis and modeling.
Organization: Columbia University
Location: Remote
Description: Compiling and analyzing human mobility data and hurricane data to determine patterns in human mobility after hurricanes make landfall
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Visit family in Baltimore
Practicum Portraits: MS DS
Tamara Pichardo
Track: Data Science
Tingcheng Pan
Track: Data Science
Organization: Dr. Pei Sen's Team, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Location: New York, NY
Description: Using the data in the NYC Health database to research the correlation between SARS-CoV in wastewater and COVID-19 death cases.
Location: New York, NY
Organization: Center for Children’s Environmental Health
Description: Assist with quantitative and qualitative data analysis and research proposal, report/manuscript writing tasks. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Tried out different restaurants in the city and summer in New York.
Practicum Portraits: MS DS
Vivian (Yuwei) Xia
Track: Data Science
Helen Yousaf
Track: DataScience
Organization: Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Description: Responsible for data preprocessing, EDA, statistical modeling of air pollution exposure and miR-TSS, as well as exploratory analyses and prediction models to identify potential tissue targets and risk groups. Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Graduation Ceremony. Took a lot of cute photos with my friends and teachers
Organization: KupscoLabonEnvironmentalEpigenetics andChildren’sHealth
Location: NewYork,NY
Description: Analysisoftheimpactofprenatalmetal exposureandchildhoodsleeptrajectoriesanddevelopment inPROGRESScohortinMexicoCity
Practicum Portraits: MS Tox
Alanna Morris
Track: Toxicology
Organization: Miller Lab, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Location: New York, NY
Description: I conducted a survival analysis comparing wild type and mutant strain C. Elegans across different temperature treatments.
Camryn Petersen
Track: Toxicology
Organization: Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Description: Conducting and overseeing experiments. Maintaining, collecting, and analyzing data.
Practicum Portraits: MS Tox
Alexander Sayan
Track: Toxicology
Andres Silva
Track: Toxicology
Location: New York, NY
Organization: Department of Environmental Health Science, Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Description: I will be responsible for preparing water treated with a uranyl compound and administering it to mice for 1 month. Then, we will measure the concentrations of different uranium isotopes in their kidney cells.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: I played video games :^)
Organization: Columbia University
Description: Perform immunohistochemical staining and/or mice exposure, metal digestion, analyze data, etc.
Favorite thing you did for fun last summer: Going to places around the city with friends.
Practicum Portraits: MS Tox
Harry Burnett Track: Toxicology
Location: New York, NY
Organization: STARS Clinic, Columbia University
Description: Volunteer research assistant that includes getting vitals, obtaining patient history, applying toxicokinetic techniques to understanding the migration of medications in the body system
Letter from SEA
Dear EHS family and beyond,
As it is the time to hand over the club to a new generation of environmental action enthusiasts, we wanted to reflect on the amazing year that SEA has had. It was wonderful to connect with new and existing members at both the Spring and Fall General Body Meetings. We hope everyone enjoyed the Spring Clothing Swap - we had a fantastic turnout - and it provided a meaningful way to support sustainable shopping as a community. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to put these events on. We look forward to seeing our members at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, where we will be going on a Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail. Some potential future events include a park clean up (an opportunity to give back to the community that has been housing us) and another General Body Meeting.
We would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation for Nina Kulacki, our amazing advisor, who is an institutional memory of the club and advocates SEA unwaveringly. And of course, we would like to thank everyone who joined us along the way - your energy and passion for environmental action has kept this community thriving!
Though our time on the SEA E-Board is coming to a close, our environmental action journey is far from over. Please feel free to reach out to us even after we transition out of our roles!
"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."
Stay Green , Students for Environmental Action E-Board 2025-26
Instagram: @seacolumbia
- Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation
SEA Update
Pictured from left to right: Narmin Guluzade, Neena Madhure, and Jade Allmon
The Students for Environmental Action Club and Resident Assistant Mansi Shah (along with Non-EHS student/RA Delanie Ludmir) hosted a clothing swap with 60+ students attending and donating clothing to the event. Attendees came away with new clothing pieces to update their wardrobe sustainably (and for free) in time for the season change! This event was a blast for all who were able to be there, and future clothing swaps are in the works for this and next semester!
SHARP 2025 Updates
Join us on January 12-13, 2026 for the PI Crash Course:SkillsforFutureorNewLabLeader.Gain leadership and management skills and tools needed for success in your lab in this livestream training. Register here!
Summer 2025 recap
TheSingleCellAnalysisBootCampwillbeoffered thiswinteronJanuary15-16,2026.Thistwo-day intensive training provides hands-on analyticalsessions to help launch students on a pathtowards mastery of scRNASeq data analysismethodsusedinhealthstudies. Register by December 2nd for early bird rates.
This summer, the SHARP team successfully ran a total of 30 trainings with +825 attendees participating from around the world. The Machine Learning Boot Camp was added back to the lineup and was taught by new instructor, Arjun Sondhi of the Feinstein Institute of Medical Research. This hands-on training gives trainees a broad introduction to machine learning methodology with applications to biomedical research.
Thank you to the EHS faculty involved in this summer’s SHARP trainings: Joel Capellan, Joan Casey, Julie Herbstman, Norman Kleiman, Vrinda Kalia, Allison Kupsco, YunjiaLai,GaryMiller,AnaNavas-Acien,MatthewPerzanowski,JeremyPorter,RobbieParks, DianeRe,RandolphSingh,CeciliaSorensen,andLewisZiska.
Student and Postdoc Recognition: TheSHARPteamwouldalsoliketothanktheWorkshop Fellowsfortheirsupportduringthissummer’strainings:StephanieCalluori,CarlosCarrilloGallegos, Alexander De Jesus, Jocelyn Dicent, Carolyn Gigot Eréndira Di Giuseppe, Sharon Kulali,ChristineKuryla,WendingLi,CatherineLucey,KatlynMcGraw,FintanMooney,Maggie O’Donnell,GraceSantos,BrittanyShea,MillieTung,andSabahUsmani.
Looking forward to Summer 2026: Explore our trainings and join our email list to be thefirsttoknowaboutsummerdatesandearlybirdregistrationdeadlines.
EHS Doctoral Students and Postdocs: BecomeaWorkshopFellownextsummer! WorkshopFellowopportunitiesareavailableformanyofourtrainings.Moredetailstocome.
Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health
CCCEH Community Outreach & Translation Core (COTC) Highlights NEEDYA Garden Grows Strong! The NEEDYA Garden, launched in May 2025 in partnership with MS 331’s Leave It Better (LIB) Program and the Youth Council, received glowing feedback from the Levitt Foundation during a recent site visit . Youth leaders impressed reviewers with their enthusiasm and the project’s rapid progress earning praise for strong teamwork and creative environmental action.
Celebrating Safer Communities: Pesticide-Safe Campaign
The CCCEH COTC was honored at the New York State Attorney General’s Pesticide-Safe Celebration on August 12, 2025, along side partnering organizations, youth, leaders, and health professionals recognizing outstanding community engagement to protect families from illegal and unsafe pesticides sold by street vendors in Washington Heights. More than 80 attendees including Congressman Adriano Espaillat, NYC Council Members, and Attorney General’s Office officials joined to celebrate this work. Over the past 18 months, COTC has led outreach efforts across New York City neighborhoods to educate residents and parents about the dangers of pesticides sold by street vendors.
CCCEH
at Climate Week NYC At this year’s Climate Week NYC, Dr. Frederica Perera joined Dr. Debra Hendrickson, Dr. Mary Rice, and Elizabeth Bechard on the panel “The Air They Breathe: How Failure to Curb Pollutants Endangers Young Lungs and Brains. ” The discussion focused on the growing impacts of climate change and air pollution on children’s health. Dr. Perera emphasized the serious harms fossil fuel emissions pose to children’s developing lungs and brains and shared CCCEH research demonstrating the powerful health benefits of clean-air policies: In Poland, coal restrictions led to a 39% drop in PM2.5. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) achieved a 40% reduction in air pollution.
MPH 2025 Capstone Posters
Memories: Talent Show
Usually celebrated for their scientific and educational achievements, Columbia Mailman faculty in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) showcased their creative side on a recent afternoon. A packed audience of students, staff, faculty, and friends celebrated the department’s inaugural EHS Bonanza as professors entertained with song, dance, humor, and storytelling.
The event kicked off with Robbie M. Parks, assistant professor, who performed two songs from his latest musical project. Next up, Professors Julie Herbstman and Lew Ziska, outfitted in matching t-shirts and sunglasses, debuted an AI-generated, Sabrina Carpenter-inspired song, “Ivy Apocalypse, ” whose lyrics reference research by Ziska on the link between rising levels of CO2 and the proliferation of poison ivy. Sample lyric: Ivy Apocalypse, you know I told you so / Ivy Apocalypse, watch it grow, grow, grow.
One of several faculty dancers, Maya Deyssenroth, assistant professor in EHS, performed a Classical Indian Dance about a woman who coaxes her companion to accompany her to a beautiful garden. This idyllic setting can be seen as a stand-in for “our beautiful garden, our beautiful community, and all the work we do to safeguard our garden, including our local community and the broader Earth, ” Deyssenroth said. That performance was followed by professors Alan Cohen and Norman Kleiman, who demonstrated contact improv, a dance style that involves continuous physical touch between dancers, using gravity, momentum, inertia, and friction to shape and inform each performer’s interactions. The event finale was a salsa performed by EHS Chair Ana Navas-Acien and Associate Research Scientist Luis Acosta, who danced to a song written by a Chilean ensemble to educate children about the environment.
First All Master’s Meeting of the Academic Year
APEx Presentations
Faculty Social
Chili Cook Off
Publications
Please check out some of the amazing work being published by our community! These publications are listed in chronological order, by initial publication. Faculty, students, and staff names are bolded:
Patterson, K. P. (2025). Uranium Exposure, Hypertension, and Blood Pressure in the Strong Heart Family Study. Preventing Chronic Disease, 22. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd22.240122
Lucey, C. M., Pearson, B. L., DeSantis, K., Goldsmith, J., Halliday, A. N., Navas-Acien, A., Schilling, K., & Basu, A. (2025). Isotopic Fractionation of Natural Uranium in Mice as a Potential Biomarker of Renal Accumulation. Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c03403
Li, W., Wu, H., Goldsmith, J., Glabonjat, R. A., Ilievski, V., Balac, O., Slavkovich, V., Pinto-Pacheco, B., Lin, X., Parvez, F., Jackson, G. L., Siddique, A. B., Uddin, M. N., Islam, T., Martinez-Morata, I., Navas-Acien, A., Niedzwiecki, M. M., Kioumourtzoglou, M.-A., Pierce, B. L., & Graziano, J. H. (2025). Metabolic Signature of Arsenic Exposure and Metabolism: The Folic Acid and Creatine Trial. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(29), 14905–14916. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c01597
Danielly, Sorensen, C., Hamacher, N., Campbell, H., Hannah, Owili, P. O., Ario, A. R., Glory, Michael, C. A., Alimi, Y., Hien, H., Woldekidan Amde, Thiam, S., Pagiwa, V., D’Andrea, S. M., Gichuki, C. M., Offei, M., Joanes Atela, Patrick, S. M., & Struminger, B. (2025). Improving health professionals’ capacity to respond to the climate crisis in Africa: outcomes of the Africa climate and health responder course. Frontiers in Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1617723
We enjoy sharing news about our EHS Family with the community and we want to hear from you!
Please send us information about your accomplishments, awards, presentations, publications, pictures, and any noteworthy EHS updates you’d like to share. Email Nina Kulacki at njk2128@columbia.edu with your submissions. We look forward to hearing from you. Be well and keep in touch!