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NIEHS-funded scientists work in a variety of disciplines, performing groundbreaking research into how the environment influences the development and progression of disease. Through these Stories of Success we invite you to explore the people behind the research in stories that you won't find in a scientific journal. Read about NIEHS grantees who are developing new technologies to better measure environmental exposures and their effects on our body; partnering with communities to help them understand the effects of pollution; and cultivating tomorrow's environmental health scientists.

Latest Stories

Stephania Cormier, Ph.D.

Revealing the Effects of Air Pollution Across the Life Span

September 30, 2024

Stephania Cormier, Ph.D.

Stephania Cormier, Ph.D., began to envision a career in science after she volunteered in a biology lab during college and discovered a passion for research and the chemistry of life. A professor and mentor urged her to pursue graduate studies.

Jennifer Kay, Ph.D.

Connecting the Dots Between DNA Damage, Hormonal Signaling, and Breast Cancer

September 26, 2024

Jennifer Kay, Ph.D.

Cancer studies often focus on treatments after diagnosis, but toxicologist Jennifer Kay, Ph.D., is determined to stop cancer at its source.

Rebecca Fry, Ph.D.

From Cells to Society: Protecting Children and Pregnant Women From Environmental Harms

September 16, 2024

Rebecca Fry, Ph.D.

Rebecca Fry, Ph.D. collaborated with researchers in Thailand to investigate how in utero exposure to arsenic from abandoned tin mines affects gene activity in infants.

Slawomir Lomnicki, Ph.D.

Studying Free Radicals to Improve Air Quality

May 2, 2024

Slawomir Lomnicki, Ph.D.

Slawo Lomnicki, Ph.D., examines dangerous combustion pollutants called environmentally persistent free radicals, aiming to discover ways to destroy them and prevent them from forming.

Heather Volk, Ph.D.

Untangling the Genetic and Environmental Complexities of Autism Spectrum Disorder

May 1, 2024

Heather Volk, Ph.D.

As an NIEHS grant recipient and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, Heather Volk, Ph.D., investigates how interactions between environmental factors, such as air pollution, and genetic factors, like mutations, lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

Patrick Sung, Ph.D.

Unraveling the Mysteries of DNA Repair 

March 19, 2024

Patrick Sung, Ph.D.

For more than 30 years, biochemist Patrick Sung, Ph.D., has studied a cellular process essential to all life on earth: DNA repair.

Eliane El Hayek, Ph.D.

From Lebanon to New Mexico: Studying How Contaminants Interact with Plant and Human Health

March 12, 2024

Eliane El Hayek, Ph.D.

Eliane El Hayek, Ph.D., is a research assistant professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where she works with the NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center to understand how exposures to heavy metals and tiny plastic particles known as microplastics affect human and plant health.

John Pierce Wise, Sr., Ph.D.

Applying the One Environmental Health Approach to Hexavalent Chromium 

February 1, 2024

John Pierce Wise, Sr., Ph.D.

John Pierce Wise, Sr., Ph.D., champions a research approach for studying toxic chemicals focused on the intersection of human, animal, and ecosystem health.

Megan Herting, Ph.D.

Exposing Connections Between Air Pollution and Early Brain Development 

December 12, 2023

Megan Herting, Ph.D.

Megan Herting, Ph.D., wants to understand environmental ties between the brain and human behavior.

Michael Petriello, Ph.D.

Gut Check: Studying Environmental Connections Between Diet and Disease 

November 29, 2023

Michael Petriello, Ph.D.

NIEHS grant recipient Michael Petriello, Ph.D., studies how the interplay between environmental pollutants and nutrition influences health.

Joann Sweasy, Ph.D.

Connecting DNA, Autoimmunity, and the Environment 

October 11, 2023

Joann Sweasy, Ph.D.

NIEHS RIVER grantee Joann Sweasy, Ph.D., is exploring how gene-environment interactions affect the development of lupus.

Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou

Harnessing Data to Track Understudied Air Pollution Impacts 

September 19, 2023

Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Sc.D.

Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Sc.D., an environmental engineer and epidemiologist at Columbia University, studies the effects of air pollution and climate change on populations and develops innovative methods to study the health effects of environmental exposures.

Years