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Health Assessment and Translation

Vickie R. Walker
Vickie R. Walker
Health Scientist
Tel 984-287-3205
Fax 301-480-3337
[email protected]
P.O. Box 12233
Mail Drop K2-04
Durham, NC 27709

Vickie R. Walker is a health scientist in the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT) at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in developing and harmonizing methods for literature-based environmental health assessments. Walker leads the evidence informatics initiatives within the Integrative Health Assessment Branch, leveraging technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence to streamline systematic review and systematic evidence mapping workflows, significantly enhancing the efficiency of systematic reviews and improving data visualization and communication.

Her expertise is in the early phases of the systematic review process, including problem formulation, literature search and selection, and data extraction with an emphasis on developing tools for knowledge extraction. As a recognized leader in her field, Walker has been invited to speak at numerous local and international conferences where she shares her expertise in systematic review methodologies. Walker’s extensive technical knowledge and experience have established her as a recognized leader in using evidence informatics to advance toxicology and environmental health science.

In addition to her role in evidence informatics, Vickie R. Walker serves as program lead for the DTT Scientific Cyberinfrastructure Program. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from North Carolina State University. Prior to joining DTT, Walker worked as a biologist in the NIEHS Division of Intramural Research for 15 years, where she gained extensive experience in reproductive and developmental toxicology. Earlier work contributed to understanding estrogen receptor mechanisms in development, reproduction, and cancer through the use of transgenic and gene-disruption animal models.

Selected Publications

  1. Taylor KW, Howdeshell KL, Bommarito PA, Sibrizzi CA, Blain RB, Magnuson K, Lemeris C, Tracy W, Baird DD, Jackson CL, Gaston SA, Rider CV, Walker VR, Rooney AA. 2023. Systematic evidence mapping informs a class-based approach to assessing personal care products and pubertal timing. Environ Int. 181:108307. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108307. [Abstract]
  2. Singh A, Lawler CP, Walker VR, Pelch KE, Garton AE, Rooney AA, Haugen AC. 2023. Becoming aWARE: The Development of a Web-Based Tool for Autism Research and the Environment. J Xenobiot. 13(3):492-499. doi: 10.3390/jox13030031. [Abstract]
  3. Walker VR, Schmitt CP, Wolfe MS, Nowak AJ, Kulesza K, Williams AR, Shin R, Cohen J, Burch D, Stout MD, Shipkowski KA, Rooney AA. 2022. Evaluation of a semi-automated data extraction tool for public health literature-based reviews: Dextr. Environ Int. 159:107025. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107025. [Abstract]
  4. Rayasam SDG, Aung MT, Cooper C, Kwiatkowski C, Germolec DR, Rooney AA, Walker VR, Forte C, Woodruff TJ, Chartres N. 2022. Identifying environmental factors that influence immune response to SARS-CoV-2: Systematic evidence map protocol. Environ Int. 164:107230. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107230. [Abstract]
  5. Walker VR, and Rooney AA. 2021. Automated and Semi-Automated Approaches for Literature Searching, Screening, and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews in Environmental Health. Toxicology Letters. 350 (2021/09/01/ 2021): S4. doi: 10.1016/S0378-4274(21)00239-3. [Abstract]
  6. Langendam MW, Magnuson K, Williams AR, Walker VR, Howdeshell KL, Rooney AA, Hooijmans CR. 2021. Developing a database of systematic reviews of animal studies. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 123:104940. doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.104940. [Abstract]
  7. Drahomira H, Gunaratne C, Walker VR, Rooney AA, Patton R, Wolfe MS, and Schmitt CP. 2021. Weak Supervision for Scientific Document Relevance Tagging. 2021 ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL): IEEE. doi: 10.1109/JCDL52503.2021.00060. [Abstract]
  8. Taylor KW, Wang Z, Walker VR, Rooney AA, Bero LA. 2020. Using interactive data visualization to facilitate user selection and comparison of risk of bias tools for observational studies of exposures. Environ Int. 142:105806. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105806. [Abstract]
  9. Boyd WA, Boyles AL, Blain RB, Skuce CR, Engstrom AK, Walker VR, Thayer KA, Rooney AA. 2020. NTP Research Report on the Scoping Review of Potential Human Health Effects Associated with Exposures to Neonicotinoid Pesticides: Research Report 15 [Internet]. National Toxicology Program. doi: 10.22427/NTP-RR-15. [Abstract]
  10. Wolffe TAM, Whaley P, Halsall C, Rooney AA, Walker VR. Systematic evidence maps as a novel tool to support evidence-based decision-making in chemicals policy and risk management. 2019. Environ Int. 130:104871. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.065. [Abstract]