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Environmental Exposures in Pregnancy & the Origins of Disease

Kelly K. Ferguson, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Kelly K. Ferguson, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Deputy Chief and Senior Investigator
Tel 984-287-3700
[email protected]

Research Summary

Kelly Ferguson, Ph.D., M.P.H., leads the Perinatal and Early Life Epidemiology Group and holds a secondary appointment in the NIEHS Reproductive & Developmental Biology Laboratory. 

The Perinatal and Early Life Epidemiology Group conducts research on how maternal exposure to chemicals impacts pregnancy and the development of the fetus and child. They also investigate inflammation and oxidative stress as biological mechanisms that may connect chemical exposures to adverse birth outcomes. Each research study addresses one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Optimal exposure assessment, including examination of chemical mixtures
  • Understanding biologic mediators
  • Outcome phenotyping
  • Robust validation of associations

Ferguson is specifically trained in chemical exposure assessment, reproductive health endpoints, advanced statistical methods, and epidemiologic study design. She earned her M.P.H. in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology and Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She joined the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch as a Tenure-Track Investigator in 2016.

Studies

The LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study

The LIFECODES pregnancy cohort is a prospective, ongoing cohort conducted by Dr. Thomas McElrath at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Within the cohort, the LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study is designed to examine consumer product chemical exposures and their cumulative impact on disorders of fetal growth. The objectives of the project are to 1) Examine associations of consumer product chemicals, including phthalates, phenols, and organophosphate flame retardants and pesticides, with disorders of fetal growth in pregnancy; 2) Improve the understanding of the etiology of disorders of fetal growth, specifically targeting inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways, with the analysis of urinary and plasma biomarkers; and 3) Explore phenotypes of fetal growth that may reflect mechanisms of fetal growth restriction.

The Generation R Pregnancy Cohort

The Generation R Study is a prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood in a multi-ethnic urban population from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Under this project, Dr. Ferguson collaborates with investigators at Erasmus Medical Center and elsewhere to investigate questions pertaining to environmental chemical exposures and fetal growth.

Phthalate Exposure and the Human Placenta

With funding from the NICHD Human Placenta Project, Drs. Alfred Abuhamad and George Saade developed a pregnancy cohort to develop novel ultrasound tools to expand the ability to study placental structure and function in vivo. To augment the serial ultrasound measures collected at 8 study visits, Dr. Ferguson added collection of urine samples and questionnaire data to address the following objectives: 1) Investigate variability and trends in phthalate exposure over pregnancy; 2) Examine associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and measures of fetal growth; and 3) Explore associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and measures of placental development and function.

Selected Publications

  1. Welch BM, Bommarito PA, Cantonwine DE, Milne GL, Stevens DR, Edin ML, Zeldin DC, Meeker JD, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. 2025. Consumer Product Chemical Mixtures and Oxylipin-Mediated Inflammation and Oxidative Stress during Early Pregnancy: Findings from a Large US Pregnancy Cohort. Environ Sci Technol 59(6):2987-2999. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c10390. Epub 2025 Feb 6. [ Abstract Welch BM, Bommarito PA, Cantonwine DE, Milne GL, Stevens DR, Edin ML, Zeldin DC, Meeker JD, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. 2025. Consumer Product Chemical Mixtures and Oxylipin-Mediated Inflammation and Oxidative Stress during Early Pregnancy: Findings from a Large US Pregnancy Cohort. Environ Sci Technol 59(6):2987-2999. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c10390. Epub 2025 Feb 6. ]
  2. Bommarito PA, Blaauwendraad SM, Stevens DR, van den Dries MA, Spaan S, Pronk A, Tiemeier H, Gaillard R, Trasande L, Jaddoe VVW, Ferguson KK. 2024. Prenatal Exposure to Nonpersistent Chemicals and Fetal-to-childhood Growth Trajectories. Epidemiology 35(6):874-884. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001772. Epub 2024 Jul 23. [ Abstract Bommarito PA, Blaauwendraad SM, Stevens DR, van den Dries MA, Spaan S, Pronk A, Tiemeier H, Gaillard R, Trasande L, Jaddoe VVW, Ferguson KK. 2024. Prenatal Exposure to Nonpersistent Chemicals and Fetal-to-childhood Growth Trajectories. Epidemiology 35(6):874-884. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001772. Epub 2024 Jul 23. ]
  3. Rosen EM, Stevens DR, McNell EE, Wood ME, Engel SM, Keil AP, Calafat AM, Botelho JC, Sinkovskaya E, Przybylska A, Saade G, Abuhamad A, Ferguson KK. 2024. Longitudinal associations between urinary biomarkers of phthalates and replacements with novel in vivo measures of placental health. Hum Reprod 39(9):2104-2114. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deae152. [ Abstract Rosen EM, Stevens DR, McNell EE, Wood ME, Engel SM, Keil AP, Calafat AM, Botelho JC, Sinkovskaya E, Przybylska A, Saade G, Abuhamad A, Ferguson KK. 2024. Longitudinal associations between urinary biomarkers of phthalates and replacements with novel in vivo measures of placental health. Hum Reprod 39(9):2104-2114. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deae152. ]
  4. Bommarito PA, Stevens DR, Welch BM, Ospina M, Calafat AM, Meeker JD, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. 2024. Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Relation to Fetal Growth in the LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study. Environ Health Perspect 132(7):77001. doi: 10.1289/EHP14647. Epub 2024 Jul 5. [ Abstract Bommarito PA, Stevens DR, Welch BM, Ospina M, Calafat AM, Meeker JD, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. 2024. Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers in Relation to Fetal Growth in the LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study. Environ Health Perspect 132(7):77001. doi: 10.1289/EHP14647. Epub 2024 Jul 5. ]
  5. Welch BM, Keil AP, Buckley JP, Engel SM, James-Todd T, Zota AR, Alshawabkeh AN, Barrett ES, Bloom MS, Bush NR, Cordero JF, Dabelea D, Eskenazi B, Lanphear BP, Padmanabhan V, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Aalborg J, Baird DD, Binder AM, Bradman A, Braun JM, Calafat AM, Cantonwine DE, Christenbury KE, Factor-Litvak P, Harley KG, Hauser R, Herbstman JB, Hertz-Picciotto I, Holland N, Jukic AMZ, McElrath TF, Meeker JD, Messerlian C, Michels KB, Newman RB, Nguyen RHN, O'Brien KM, Rauh VA, Redmon B, Rich DQ, Rosen EM, Schmidt RJ, Sparks AE, Starling AP, Wang C, Watkins DJ, Weinberg CR, Weinberger B, Wenzel AG, Wilcox AJ, Yolton K, Zhang Y, Ferguson KK. 2023. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Phthalate Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Pooled Study of Sixteen U.S. Cohorts. Environ Health Perspect 131(12):127015. doi: 10.1289/EHP12831. Epub 2023 Dec 20. [ Abstract Welch BM, Keil AP, Buckley JP, Engel SM, James-Todd T, Zota AR, Alshawabkeh AN, Barrett ES, Bloom MS, Bush NR, Cordero JF, Dabelea D, Eskenazi B, Lanphear BP, Padmanabhan V, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Aalborg J, Baird DD, Binder AM, Bradman A, Braun JM, Calafat AM, Cantonwine DE, Christenbury KE, Factor-Litvak P, Harley KG, Hauser R, Herbstman JB, Hertz-Picciotto I, Holland N, Jukic AMZ, McElrath TF, Meeker JD, Messerlian C, Michels KB, Newman RB, Nguyen RHN, O'Brien KM, Rauh VA, Redmon B, Rich DQ, Rosen EM, Schmidt RJ, Sparks AE, Starling AP, Wang C, Watkins DJ, Weinberg CR, Weinberger B, Wenzel AG, Wilcox AJ, Yolton K, Zhang Y, Ferguson KK. 2023. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Phthalate Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Pooled Study of Sixteen U.S. Cohorts. Environ Health Perspect 131(12):127015. doi: 10.1289/EHP12831. Epub 2023 Dec 20. ]

Selected Publications Links