PEHSU Region 1

Mark Miller, MD, MPH

Dr. Miller is an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCSF, Director Emeritus of the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), and Former Director of the California EPA Children’s Environmental Health Center. A pediatrician, he also works with the Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE) at UC Berkeley translating the evolving knowledge of risk factors for childhood cancer to clinicians, mid-level providers, and parents. Since 2022, Dr. Miller has directed the Childhood Cancer and the Environment Program for the National PEHSU network.

Catherine Metayer, MD, PhD

Dr. Metayer received her medical degree from the University of Bordeaux II in France, and her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Tulane University, School of Public Health in New Orleans.  She is currently Professor at the UC Berkeley, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, Dr. Metayer was a scientist at the US National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. Her work primarily focuses on environmental, dietary, and genetic risk factors of childhood leukemia and testicular cancer, which disproportionately affect the Latinx communities in California. She is the Director of the Center for Integrative Research on Childhood Leukemia and the Environment (CIRCLE), and the immediate past Chair of the Childhood and Cancer Leukemia International Consortium (CLIC). She collaborates with researchers at the intersection of various omics including genetics, epigenetics, metabolomics, and adductomics. 

Joseph Wiemels, PhD

Dr. Wiemels is a professor in the Center for Genetic Epidemiology at USC studying the molecular epidemiology of childhood cancers, particularly childhood leukemia and brain cancer. His work concentrates on etiology and prevention, incorporating concepts of genetic susceptibility and interaction with environmental exposures and infections. His research group is focused on the interaction of inherited genetics and environmental factors to cause specific mutational and epigenetic changes, and the specific timing of these events during the development of the child. Dr. Wiemels is currently an Associate Director of the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC) at USC.

Vickie Leonard, RN, FNP, PhD

Vickie Leonard, RN, NP (retired), PhD has been working as a Child Care Health Consultant for the past seven years, first as a nurse at the California Childcare Health Program, UCSF School of Nursing, then at the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging. Dr. Leonard was the principle author of the California Department of Education, Child Development Division’s Preschool Learning Foundations in Health and Physical Development (Volume 2, released in 2011). While at CCHP, she developed an interest in environmental health in early care and education. She was the principle author of Integrated Pest Management: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education Programs, developed through a grant from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. She worked with Dr. Asa Bradman on a Department of Pesticide Regulation-funded survey of pesticide use in California Child Care Centers, and was the PI on a second Toolkit: Green Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting: A Toolkit for Early Care and Education. She worked on a project to develop a continuing education module on The Healthy Schools Act for for pest management professionals working in child care programs and schools, the hazards of pesticides for children and child care and school staff, and the use of IPM in childcare centers and schools. She has presented to audiences of child care providers, directors, EPA staff and administrators on health hazards associated with environmental exposures as well as IPM and green cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. Vickie heads up the PEHSU’s Environmental Health in Early Care and Education Project.

Abby Mutic, PHD, CNM

Abby Mutic, PhD, CNM, is an Assistant Professor from Emory University School of Nursing, a Certified Nurse Midwife, and the Director of the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit(SE PEHSU). Her expertise is in environmental exposures and respiratory health among women and children. She oversees multiple community outreach projects in the Southeast and consults with exposed communities and healthcare providers experiencing large and small environmental hazards. Dr. Mutic is a mindful researcher, employing continuous community guidance for research development, interpretation, and educational report-back.

Alan Woolf, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACMT, FAACT

Dr. Alan Woolf is Co-Director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and its Pediatric Environmental Health Fellowship Training Program and Co-Director of the Region 1 New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Woolf is a past-president of both the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT) and the American Association of Poison Control Centers. In 2018, Dr. Woolf received the Career Achievement Award from the AACT. In 2019, he was named the Louis Roche Lecturer (its highest career award) by the European Association of Poisons Centers and Clinical Toxicologists. Dr. Woolf has published extensively on childhood poisonings, poisoning prevention and toxic reactions to heavy metals. He is the Medical Editor of two books: The Children’s Hospital Guide to Your Child’s Health and Development and most recently: The History of Modern Clinical Toxicology (Elsevier 2022). 

https://www.childrenshospital.org/directory/alan-woolf

Ann Naughton, RN

Ann Naughton, RN, is trained in occupational and environmental health nursing. Since its inception in 1999, she has been involved in Region 5 PEHSU in differing capacities, beginning with business management and staff supervision.  In 2017, she transitioned to serving as the pediatric nurse coordinator. 

Cassie Bernardi, MPH

Cassie Bernardi, MPH, is Program Manager of the Region 2 PEHSU at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the Department of Environmental Medicine. She has worked with the PEHSU program for 10 years and oversees R2 PEHSU finances, contracts, reporting, and program deliverables. She has an interest in how nutrition influences environmental health and vice versa and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in environmental nutrition.

Catherine Karr, MD, PhD, MS

As Director of the NW PEHSU, Dr. Karr sets the direction of the Unit and responds to queries from health care providers, government officials, and families regarding health risks associated with environmental exposures. Dr. Karr is a board-certified pediatrician with a doctoral degree in epidemiology and a master’s degree in environmental health/toxicology. She is Professor at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics. She practices primary care pediatrics at the UW Pediatric Care Center-Roosevelt Clinic. She also provides specialty consultation for pediatric environmental medicine care at this clinic. Her academic appointments are in Pediatrics (primary) and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. Her research focuses on environmental exposures such as air pollution and respiratory health of children including asthma. Much of her work is conducted in a community engaged framework and with under-resourced populations. Dr. Karr is a national leader in pediatric environmental health research and research translation and routinely presents on children’s environmental health topics at national and international conferences and at Grand Rounds and other clinician forums. She is the recipient of the 2017 U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.  She has authored papers and book chapters on pediatric respiratory health, including asthma, air pollution, the health of farmworker children, and global children’s environmental health. Click here to view a more detailed profile with a selection of her publications.

Elizabeth Friedman, MD, MPH

Mark Anderson, MD

Stormy Monks, PhD, MPH

Timur S. Durrani, MD, MPH, MBA

Dr. Timur S. Durrani is the WSPEHSU’s Director as well as a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of California San Francisco, the Associate Chief for Clinical Services in the Division of Occupational, Environmental and Climate Medicine and the Occupational Health Services Medical Director at ZSFG. He holds board certifications in Occupational Medicine, Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Medical Toxicology. As a consultant for the Medical Toxicology Service, he provides clinical care for acutely poisoned patients at the San Francisco General Hospital, as well as outpatient Medical Toxicology consultations through the UCSF Occupational and Environmental Medicine Faculty Practice. He serves as Medical Toxicology consultant for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, region 9, and the Environmental Protection Agency, region 9. He is a reviewer for the Journal of Medical Toxicology, and has developed online training modules in Occupational and Environmental Health, including four with the American College of Medical Toxicology. Dr. Durrani has publications in basic science and public health disciplines, and has presented abstracts in neurotoxicology.

In his work with the WSPEHSU he brings his toxicologic expertise, and has lead efforts related to lead exposures and streamlining of lead management through different stakeholders. Dr. Durrani’s career combines medicine with public health, allowing him to focus on individual patients while considering their population and environment. He has experience in caring for populations both domestically and internationally, having worked in multiple countries. His academic interests include occupational and environmental toxicology, reproductive toxicology, pediatric toxicology and clinical pharmacology.

Clare A. Burchenal, MD, MPH

Dr. Clare Burchenal is an outpatient pediatrician and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Denver Health and a Climate and Health Science Policy Fellow at the University of Colorado. She is the co-director of the Region 8 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU). 

MaryKate Cardon, DNP, CPNP-PC

MaryKate is Co-Director of the NW PEHSU. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, with a focus in Pediatric Primary Care, at the University of Washington, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Boston College. As a nurse she has worked in a various pediatric healthcare settings, ranging from primary to intensive care, and has been a member of the NW PEHSU health consultant team since 2020. Her work with NW PEHSU includes researching and responding to pediatric environmental health inquiries and finding ways to translate evidence into understandable, actionable material for parents, community members, and healthcare professionals. She also directs various NW PEHSU outreach and education projects. She is passionate about pediatric environmental health, and aims to integrate PEH topics into the curricula of healthcare professional programs in order to increase awareness and improve child health outcomes.

Sherri Homan, PhD, RN

Erica Guerrero, PA-C, MS

Gina Solomon, MD, MPH

Gina Solomon, M.D., M.P.H. is the WSPEHSU’s Principal Investigator. She is also Chief of the Division of Occupational, Environmental and Climate Medicine at UCSF. In this role she oversees clinical occupational and environmental health at UCSF Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center. She is also the Program Director of the UCSF Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency program, teaches medical and nursing students, and leads the research efforts in the Division.

Before coming to UCSF, Dr. Solomon founded and directed the Achieving Resilient Communities program at the Public Health Institute, where she worked from 2018-2023. From 2012-2018 she was appointed by Governor Brown as the Deputy Secretary for Science and Health at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Solomon previously served as the director of the occupational and environmental medicine residency program at UCSF from 2008-2012, the associate director of the UCSF Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit from 2003-2009, and as a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) from 1996-2012.

Dr. Solomon’s research has encompassed cumulative impacts of environmental and social stressors in disadvantaged communities, environmental justice, farmworker health, new approach methodologies in toxicology and risk assessment, drinking water quality, air pollution, endocrine disrupting chemicals, pesticides, environmental contaminants in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in communities after wildfires, the health implications of the 2010 Gulf oil spill, and the health effects of climate change. Currently, Dr. Solomon is Chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Advisory Council.

Laurie Halmo, MD

Nikki Wood, DO

Dr. Wood attended medical school at Kansas City University and completed both pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. During fellowship, she completed a graduate certificate program in clinical research (part of the Bioinformatics Master’s Program) through our affiliate university (UMKC). She now splits her time between oncology clinical work and cancer informatics. Last year she was trained as a Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit “Childhood Cancer and the Environment” Champion. She is involved with cancer informatics projects locally and nationally in the areas of clinical decision support, data standardization, and data harmonization. I love spending time with patients and have a passion for understanding the “why” and “how.” This is challenging in practice, when admitting a child with newly diagnosed cancer and the parents ask, “how did this happen?”.

Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH

Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana is a Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington and is NW PEHSU’s reproductive environmental health specialist. As a physician-scientist, she practices general pediatrics and conducts research focused on endocrine disrupting chemicals, including phthalates and bisphenol A in pregnancy and early childhood. She serves as the center director for The Infant Development and Environment Study which is a multi-center cohort study of phthalate exposures in pregnancy and health outcomes in children. She leads two other NIH studies on genetic polymorphisms and sex steroid hormone concentrations in relation to environmental exposures and child health outcomes. In this capacity, she has developed extensive expertise in prenatal/child cohort recruitment, retention, and engagement. In 2013, she was named Outstanding New Investigator within the University of Washington Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health. She recently finished serving a 6-year term as chair of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee and now serves on the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Low Dose Toxicity. She is the co-PI of the ECHO PATHWAYS study at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. This study brings together three cohorts at different stages of recruitment/follow-up/analysis. In this manner, it serves as a microcosm for the national ECHO effort to harmonize and prospectively collect data. Dr. Sathyanarayana hopes to be able to represent all the cohorts in order to be able to both capitalize and not overburden studies in order to meet national goals. Click here to view a more detailed profile with a selection of her publications.

James Earl Schier Nolan, MPH

James Earl Schier Nolan, MPH, is the Associate Director of the WSPEHSU. Mr. Nolan graduated from Seattle University, double majoring in Sociology and Gender Studies, and from UC Berkeley with a Masters of Public Health, specializing in social determinants of health disparities associated with racism, classism, sexism and geography. He focuses on engaging community members in addressing social determinants of health and structural violence overlap to influence environmental injustices, with an emphasis on diversifying STEM fields and harnessing local assets through community based participatory research (CBPR). This approach helps to build awareness, expand capacity and engages community members in co-designing more relevant and effective health interventions. He has managed several participatory action-driven research projects including the COSECHA Study on Latine teens’ exposures to pesticides during puberty, the LUCIR Study on Latines’ exposures to carcinogens in cleaning products during their normal cleaning routines, the Richmond Youth Air Quality Initiative on intra-neighborhood air pollution disparities, helped coordinate the AIM Study on indoor air pollution from gas stoves, and leads community outreach projects including organizational partnerships, trainings, presentations, workshops, website development and multimedia including a Spanish Radio Novella series, a bilingual animated PSA mini-series, a mural and a zine. At the WSPEHSU, he has led major patient education material development and integration, formal courses for undergraduates and medical students, and higher level health professional trainings.

Luke Gard

Maria Tchong-French, MPH

Maria Tchong-French is a research scientist with the University of Washington since 2004. She has been involved in exposure assessment in multiple projects ranging from pesticide exposure in agriculture, solvent exposure in automotive shops, and air quality in schools. She feels strongly about improving the safety and health of workers and their families. She is a native Spanish speaker. As part of NW PEHSU, she is involved in program tracking/reporting, as well as providing exposure assessment/industrial hygiene expertise in consultations.

Esther Min, PhD, MPH

Ryan Allenbrand

Scott Crawford, MD

Emilio Saenz

Margaret Willis, BSN, MPH

Margaret Willis is a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience. She earned a Master of Public Health in environmental and occupational health at the University of Washington in 2015. She holds bachelor’s degrees in nursing and psychology. She completed a 2-year fellowship with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection. Throughout her career, she has worked to promote positive health outcomes. She has contributed to federal and state children’s environmental health programs. She has coordinated public health interventions to reduce children’s exposures in daycares. She has served as an environmental health resource for families, clinicians, and public health professionals. As part of the NW PEHSU, Margaret responds to environmental health inquiries, coordinates special projects, and collaborates on education and outreach activities.

Salvador Baeza, PharmD

Dr. Salvador Baeza is director of the West Texas Poison Center at University Medical Center of El Paso. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, he completed a pediatric pharmacy residency before joining the poison center in 2002. Dr. Baeza currently serves as Co-Chair of the Accreditation Committee for America’s Poison Centers and Chair of the Poison Control Coordinating Committee for the Texas Poison Center Network. In addition to maintaining an active community outreach program, Dr. Baeza and his staff collaborate with various professional education programs within Texas Tech Health El Paso and UTEP’s School of Pharmacy.

Kristy Ivicek Lanciotti, MN, RN, CPN

Kristy Lanciotti is a registered nurse with particular interests in pediatrics and environmental health. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2000 from the University of San Francisco, and her Master of Nursing (MN) in 2008 from the University of Washington in Advanced Practice Community Health Systems Nursing (APCHSN). She also holds a master’s certificate in Environmental Health Nursing from the University of Washington. Kristy enjoys helping to translate environmental health science into accessible, understandable information that can be used by parents and community members to help inform their decision-making and keep children and families healthy. During her career, she has spent many years providing direct patient care to pediatric patients in acute care settings, and has been a research nurse and study coordinator for pediatric environmental health studies. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is an Assistant Professor in the undergraduate nursing program at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Her work with NW PEHSU includes responding to pediatric environmental health inquiries from healthcare providers, families, and the general public, responding to outreach requests to provide education and training on pediatric environmental health issues, and participating in projects and committees that promote pediatric environmental health.

Sarah Watkins, DO

Dr. Sarah Watkins works at TTUHSC El Paso as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Clinical Services for the Division of Medical Toxicology. She also serves as Medical Director of the West Texas Poison Center. Dr. Watkins obtained her medical degree at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado. She completed Emergency Medicine residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and fellowship in Medical Toxicology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She loves teaching and talking about all things toxicologic, including envenomation and addiction management.

Stephen Borron, MD, MS

Dr. Stephen Borron completed his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He completed a 4-year residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Following this, he completed a combined fellowship program in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Medical Toxicology at the University of Cincinnati part time, while teaching and providing patient care at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Preventive Medicine (Occupational and Environmental Medicine) and Medical Toxicology. Dr. Borron recently retired as a Tenured Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology Division and Medical Director for the West Texas Regional Poison Center in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Borron is currently a PRN Relief Physician for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Emergency Medicine Toxicology Division.

Adiel Aizenberg, MD

Dr. Adiel Aizenberg is a board-certified physician in emergency medicine and medical toxicology. He is currently practicing at University Medical Center under Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso.

Christine Caraballo

Deputy Director for the PEHSU National Program Office. With over 20 years of experience at PHI, Christine Caraballo is a seasoned professional supporting non-profit, federally funded health programs. Combining a knack for systems thinking and process improvement, she has a track record for managing efficient, high-performance teams. Christine spent the past six years managing the PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship Program, building out a staff team, supporting over 200 fellows in the field, and building relationships with CDC mentors. Prior to the fellowship, Christine worked on a USAID funded program for global health fellows. She is skilled in work planning, project management, vendor management, recruitment, outreach, and collaborative problem solving. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from San Diego State University. 

Ariel Eastburn McCormick, MA

Ariel Eastburn McCormick, MA is the Program Coordinator for WSPEHSU. She also serves as a Project Coordinator with the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) and UCSF Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) Center. Ariel received her M.A. in Applied Anthropology from Humboldt State where she conducted a qualitative study of perinatal health care access in Santa Clara County. Ariel is a longtime advocate of Reproductive Justice through her past work with menstrual equity organizations, as a full-spectrum doula-in-training, and as a 2023 UCSF Bixby Advocacy and Communications Fellow through which she co-authored a cost-benefit analysis of doula care services for Medicaid enrollees. In her free time, you can find Ariel cooking, hiking, and gardening.

Catherine Marquez

Finance Manager for the PEHSU National Program Office. Catherine brings over two decades of experience at PHI. Catherine’s expertise includes managing post-award financial oversight for various USAID cooperative agreement programs with PHI, managing budget development, financial reporting, forecasting, and preparing detailed financial reports across multiple budget components, ensuring clarity and understanding across the organization. 

Anna Mae Rogelio

Charles (Chase) Moon, MD

Charles (Chase) Moon, MD, FAAP is an Environmental Health Fellow in the Departments of Environmental Medicine and Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is the Co-Chair of AAP District II Chapter 3’s Committee on Environmental Health and Climate Change and Co-Chair of Chapter 3’s Committee on Public Policy and Advocacy. His work focuses on building climate education in graduate medical education settings and general pediatric environmental health in New York City and New York State.

Chelsea Wadle

Danielle Westnedge

Danielle Westnedge, PEHSU Region 5 coordinator, is completing her MPH and MBA in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences student at the UIC School of Public Health. She received her B.S in Health Sciences from Illinois College. She is passionate about the environment and protecting the lives of vulnerable children in disadvantaged communities. 

Diane Story, MPH

Elizabeth Neary, MD, MS

Elizabeth Neary, MD, MS, is a clinical adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.  She is a member of the Council on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network.  She is passionate about environmental exposures during childhood, with a particular interest in lead and endocrine disruptors. In 2017, Neary presented to state legislators in support of a bill to replace lead service lines. The bill passed in 2018. She was recognized as an “Everyday Hero” by the Environmental Defense Fund in recognition of this work.

Emily Moody, MD, MHS

Emily Moody, MD, MHS, is a pediatrics physician with University of Minnesota Health.  Previously, she served as a pediatric environmental health research fellow in the department of environmental medicine and public health at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.  Her research has focused on how exposure to toxic metals affects growth patterns in children across the globe.  

Emma Chang MPH, RN

Emma Chang MPH, RN is an environmental health fellow in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as well as a NYSCHECK Scholar. Emma manages the Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit consultation service and is learning about science translation and risk communication under Dr. Zajac. Her work focuses on optimizing consult processes, developing website content, and expanding information networks. Emma is also a clinical nurse in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Gredia Huerta-Montanez, MD

Gredia Huerta-Montanez, MD, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is a pediatrician based in Puerto Rico and leads the Region 2 PEHSU’s PR activities and partnerships, including pediatric educational initiatives and community outreach.

Hannah Thompson, MD

Hannah Thompson, MD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine & Climate Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a NYSCHECK Scholar. She works with the Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) consultation service. She is also board certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. She is interested in research and has a focus on pediatric and adult cancer and the environment, and she has been working on the PEHSU’s Childhood Cancer and the Environment Initiative.

Henry Falk, MD

Dr Henry Falk served in multiple capacities at CDC, including Assistant Administrator of ATSDR, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health, member of the Executive Leadership Board, and Director of the Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention.  He retired from the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps after 30 years of service as Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General, and from the CDC in December, 2010, although he continued there as a part-time consultant to the Deputy Director, ONDIEH/CDC on global aspects of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health until 2018.  Currently, he is at Emory Rollins School of Public Health as an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health, and also consults in global environmental health, particularly in India and Israel.  At CDC, he helped start the environmental health, injury, disaster epidemiology, lead poisoning prevention, asthma, radiation studies, hazardous waste investigations, and a variety of other programs; he began his career at CDC as an EIS Officer.

I. Leslie Rubin, MD

Dr. Rubin is a Developmental Pediatrician who is clinically active in caring for children with developmental disabilities and their families in his private practice, as well directing interdisciplinary clinics for children with Autism and Cerebral Palsy at CHOA Hughes Spalding, and consulting to the Emory Neurodevelopmental Exposure Clinic. He is the primary editor of Health Care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan, Springer 2016. In 2004, he founded the non-profit Break the Cycle of Health Disparities, Inc. and started the annual Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities program in partnership with the Southeast PEHSU to raise awareness among university students about children’s environmental health disparities and to cultivate future leaders to address these challenges. He currently serves on the National Advisory Council for Children and Disasters. 

Ivonne Marquez

Jahmisha Octalien

Jahmisha Octalien is a Project Coordinator for Emory University’s Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) at the Nell Hodgson School of Nursing.

In 5 years, she sees herself being fulfilled in her work by being a source of knowledge and bridging the gap in environmental vulnerabilities for underserved communities.

When not working with PEHSU, Jahmisha enjoys creating DIY projects, listening to music, and traveling to new places.

Jennifer Acevedo, MD

Jennifer Acevedo, MD is a Project Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Medicine & Climate Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). Her role focuses on quality-improvement in healthcare, leveraging technology to improve patient care and community health, and also registry development. Dr. Acevedo manages the medical electives for Children’s Environmental Health and Addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) in the Era of COVID-19 for medical students and visiting residents.

Jinbing Bai, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN

Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN

Dr. Katie Huffling is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and the Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE). With ANHE, Dr. Huffling works with nurses and nursing organizations to elevate environmental health issues, such as toxic chemicals and sustainability in healthcare amongst the nursing profession. Dr. Huffling received her DNP in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. She is an appointed member of the US Environmental Protection Agency Children’s Health Protection Advisory Council and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector. She was a recipient of the 2018 Charlotte Brody Award which recognizes nurses who go beyond everyday nursing endeavors to proactively promote and protect environmental health. 

Kim Manning, MA, CHES

Kimberly Manning, MA, CHES is the Senior Program Coordinator for the Region 1 PEHSU and the Pediatric Environmental Health Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is a health educator with expertise in community outreach, health literacy, program development, and health coaching.  

Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH

Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH is the Medical Director for the Region 2 PEHSU and an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She serves as the Clinical Director for the New York City Children’s Environmental Health Center as part of the NYSCHECK network. She is a pediatrician and Director of Environmental Asthma Program at Mount Sinai. She directs a Children’s Environmental Health clinical elective program and is faculty in the MPH graduate program. Dr. Zajac is the chairperson of the AAP’s Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change (COEHCC).

Lois Wessel, DNP, FNP

Lois Wessel is an associate professor at School of Nursing and Medicine at Georgetown University and a clinician at CCI Health Services in Silver Spring, MD with a focus on immigrant and refugee health.  She is bilingual (English-Spanish) and is involved with numerous community and environmental health programs including Migrant Clinicians Network where she leads an annual Diabetes ECHO series in Spanish.  She contributed to the environmental health textbook for nurses published by the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and is an active member of that organization.  She was a Duke Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Fellow and is a member of the editorial board for the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. 

Maida Galvez, MD, MPH

Maida Galvez, MD, MPH is the Co-Director of the Region 2 PEHSU at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Galvez is Co-Director of the NYSCHECK Coordinating Center and practices General Pediatrics. She is the Director of Community Engagement for the NIEHS P30 Center for Health and Environment Across the Lifespan at Mount Sinai and is a member of the CDC/APHA National Environmental Health Partnership Council as well as the New York City Board of Health.

Margaret Guinan

Marie Cabiya, MD

Marie A. Cabiya, MD, is a practicing obstetrician gynecologist with Advocate Aurora Health with an interest in environmental health issues. She participated in successful efforts to discontinue the use of triclosan from her health system’s hand soaps. Cabiya believes in the vital role of health care providers as educators on environmental exposures and the health effects of climate change both in the exam room and within their communities.  

Marissa Hauptman, MD, MPH, FAAP

Marissa Hauptman, MD, MPH, FAAP is a mother, practicing board-certified general pediatrician, environmental medicine physician-scientist, and co-director for the Boston Children’s Pediatric Environmental Health Center and the Region 1 New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. Each week, in addition to her general pediatrics practice, she provides multidisciplinary clinical care for children with lead poisoning, mold exposure, asthma and other environmentally-mediated disease processes. Her career is dedicated to mitigating environmental health challenges for pediatric and reproductive-aged populations through the intersection of public health and medicine. Her work particularly focuses on the importance of systematically integrating and leveraging geospatial and biological markers of environmental exposures and screening tools into pediatric medicine. She has an NIH/NIEHS K23 Career Development Award and recently became an inaugural Chief Medical Advisor to the Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Dr. Hauptman has leveraged her expertise as a physician-scientist in pediatric environmental medicine to make important clinical advances and innovations in the field of childhood lead poisoning and other environmental and climate justice issues. She has received numerous local, regional and national awards for her research and dedication to addressing environmental and climate injustices for pediatric populations. These accolades include the Boston Combined Residency Program Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Honor Roll (2022-23), the Rhode Island Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Healthy Housing Award (2007), the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Allergy and Immunology Outstanding Abstract Award (2016), the Academic Pediatric Association Fellow Research Award (2015) and the Academic Pediatric Association Michael Shannon Research Award (2017).

Mark Mycyk, MD

Mark Mycyk, MD, is the chair of research in the department of emergency medicine at Cook County Health.  He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Toxicology.  Mark completed his residency in emergency medicine at Boston City Hospital/Boston Medical Center and a fellowship in medical toxicology at Cook County Hospital and the Toxikon Consortium. 

Marya Zlatnik, MD

Marya Zlatnik, MD, is a Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences at UCSF, and close collaborator of UCSF’s Program in Reproductive Health and the Environment. She is a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, with clinical expertise in ultrasound and the diagnosis of fetal anomalies. She serves as the Associate Director of the Maternal Fetal Health and the Environment Program within UCSF’s Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) and the Director of Clinical Outreach of the UCSF Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) Center’s Community Engagement Core.

Matthew Spence, MPH

Melissa Gittinger, DO, FACMT, FACEP

Dr. Gittinger completed her residency in emergency medicine at Indiana University and her fellowship in medical toxicology at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She works clinically in the Emergency Department at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA and at the Georgia Poison Center. She currently serves as an assistant professor of emergency medicine and medical toxicology at Emory University’s School of Medicine. Her professional interests include medical education, acute toxicologic exposures, environmental toxicology, and reduction of pediatric and maternal exposures to environmental toxins. When she is not working clinically, Dr. Gittinger enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband and two toddler girls.

Michelle Kelly, PhD, CRNP, CNE, FAANP, FAAN

Michelle Kelly is a dual-certified pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner with over 25 years of experience providing care to children of all ages, in a variety of settings. She earned a BSN in 1994 and PhD in 2012 from Villanova University, an MSN in 1997 from the pediatric nurse practitioner program at the University of Pennsylvania and a post-master certificate in 2005 from the neonatal nurse practitioner program at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr Michelle Kelly is an Associate Professor at Villanova University’s M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. She is an advocate for promoting children’s health, with a special focus on children and adolescents who were born preterm.   She presents nationally and internationally on preterm birth outcomes, nurse practitioner practice, and leadership. She continues to practice clinically as a volunteer pediatric nurse practitioner at a free and charitable practice serving the uninsured and underserved in her community.  

Mike Sage, MPH

As Program Director for the PEHSU National Program Office, Mike serves as the primary point of contact for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the strategic impact of the project and is responsible for maintaining technical success while also ensuring compliance with funder requirements. Previously, Mike was Program Director for the Region 9 Emergency Preparedness Workplan and the PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship Program. Mike currently holds an appointment as Guest Researcher at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and serves as a senior consultant to the Public Health Institute (PHI). The American Thoracic Society also appointed Mike as the Executive Director of Stop TB USA, the US Partner to the Global Stop TB Partnership. Prior to retirement from CDC he served as Senior Advisor for Global Environmental Health, National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), with responsibilities that included managing CDC efforts to support clean and safe Cookstoves programs. He has extensive experience in public health policy/program development, implementation, and evaluation. He has served in numerous leadership positions at CDC including; Director, Public Health Portfolio Management Program, Office of the Director, CDC; Director of Global Business Services; Deputy Director of the Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response; and Associate Director for Policy, Evaluation, and Planning, NCEH. 

Nadya Rivera-Rivera, MPH

Nadya Rivera-Rivera, MPH, is the Caribbean Coordinator for the Region 2 PEHSU at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). They are based in Puerto Rico, which allows them to work with PR DOH, EPA and CDC and other non-governmental organizations providing support for their Caribbean initiatives, especially at the community level. They also provide technical assistance and coordination for the Rx for Preventions.

Nick Newman, DO, MS

Nick Newman, DO, MS, Associate Director, is the medical director of the Pediatric Environmental Health and Lead Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics and environmental & public health sciences at the University of Cincinnati. As a pediatric environmental health doctor, he helps families identify, reduce, and treat harmful exposures that affect their child’s health.  His research focuses on how common environmental exposures, like air pollution, lead, flame retardants, and forever chemical exposure, influence growth, neurodevelopment, and behavior in children. 

Omar Shakeel, MD

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine and provide clinical care at Texas Children’s Hospital. During my fellowship, I was frequently asked by families what triggered cancer to develop in their child. As a result, I became interested in environmental exposures on the development of pediatric cancers. Notably, the incidence of pediatric cancers has steadily increased since 1975, which could suggest that other exogenous factors are accounting for an increasing proportion of cases. I wrote a summary manuscript describing the current knowledge on environmental toxicants and risk of pediatric cancers. I also evaluated the association between parental medical radiation exposure and risk of sporadic retinoblastoma in their offspring. Currently, I am the lead physician in the Long-Term Survivor clinic. In collaboration with the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) Network, I recently proposed the creation of the first U.S. Pediatric Cancer Environmental Referral Service (PCERS) to assist providers and nurses in addressing questions and concerns from patients and families about environmental risk factors for cancer and provide counseling on protective measures.

Perry Sheffield MD, MPH

Perry Sheffield MD, MPH is the Co-Director of the Region 2 PEHSU at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) and Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Sheffield is a pediatrician, environmental health researcher, and Co-Director of the NYSCHECK Coordinating Center. She completed her fellowship in Pediatric Environmental Health at Mount Sinai.

Rebecca Philipsborn, MD MPA

Dr. Philipsborn is a general pediatrician at Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, practicing at Hughes Spalding Primary Care Center. Core PEHSU faculty, she serves as the Scholars Director for the Pediatric and Reproductive Health Scholars – Southeast Exposures and Disparities (PREHS-SEED) K12 program.  At Emory, she Directs the Pediatric Clerkship as well as the Climate Change and Environmental Health “thread” for medical students.  Her scholarly work focuses on understanding the influence of climate change on child health and educating our learners about climate change and environmental health.  She serves on the executive committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change US Working Group.  She completed medical school and residency training at Emory University, holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and an AB in English from Princeton University

Ronke Akinkugbe, BDS, MPH, PhD

Ronke Akinkugbe, BDS, MPH, PhD, is an NIEHS K12 Pediatric Reproductive Environmental Health Scholar. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  She is a member of the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research and its NIEHS-funded Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS). Her research explores psychosocial and environmental determinants of poor oral and systemic health outcomes across the lifecourse, including the role of prenatal exposures on children’s oral health.

Rose Goldman, MD, MPH

Ruth McDermott-Levy, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN

An expert in environmental health, global health, and public health nursing, Dr. McDermott-Levy has taught and conducted research in Philadelphia’s immigrant communities, with community health workers in Nicaragua, and in the Marcellus Shale region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She has also investigated extreme weather adaptation of community-based organizations. With nurse colleagues around the U.S., Dr. McDermott-Levy has developed recommendations and teaching strategies to incorporate environmental health into the nursing curricula. Dr. McDermott-Levy is a co-editor of an open-access environmental health textbook for nurses, Environmental Health in Nursing. In 2018, she received the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Health and Environmental Sciences Award for Teaching and Research in Finland. She is the 2020 recipient of the Charlotte Brody award from Health Care Without Harm.    

Sarah Evans, PhD, MPH

Sarah Evans, PhD, MPH is the Community Education Lead for the Region 2 PEHSU and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and a member of the Institute for Exposomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Evans’ expertise focuses on the impacts of early life environmental exposures on nervous system development and child behavior. She is a trusted voice on the health effects of toxic chemicals and what individuals can do to protect their own health in their local communities.

Sarah McCuskee, MD, MPhil

Sarah McCuskee, MD, MPhil, is an NIEHS K12 Pediatric Reproductive Environmental Health Scholar. As a physician-scientist, she is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Global Health & Health Systems Design. She is a member of Mount Sinai’s NIEHS-funded Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan, and her work focuses on climate and environmental events and integration and analysis of routine data. 

Shalini H. Shah, DO, FAAP

Shalini H. Shah, DO is a practicing board-certified pediatrician, environmental medicine physician, and assistant director for the Boston Children’s Pediatric Environmental Health Center (PEHC) and Region I Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU). She studied Biological Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and attending medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and her fellowship in pediatric and reproductive environmental health at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Shah provides clinical care in primary care pediatrics and environmental health clinic for patients with environmental exposures. She is passionate about the intersection of the environment and children’s health. Her research and academic efforts are aimed at bringing environmental health to the “bedside” via development of an environmental health screening tool that is integrated into clinical care to bolster referrals and resource utilization by families. This project was awarded the 2022 Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America New England (AAFANE) Medical Research Grant. Other projects she is working on include developing patient-facing materials on how extreme weather impacts health and sharing what families can do to prepare/adapt, as well as the development of a continuing education curriculum and quality improvement project to help pediatric providers integrate climate counseling into clinical care. Her work has been presented both regionally and nationally.

Sofía Curdumí Pendley, PhD, MPH

Sofía Curdumí Pendley, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Pendley is a public health scientist with expertise in disasters and public health emergencies. Her training is in global community health, behavioral science, and evaluation, and serves as the Evaluation Lead for the Region 2 PEHSU. She has extensive experience working directly with diverse communities to implement and evaluate programs with the aim of improving health.

Stephen Petrou, MD

Stephen Petrou, MD is as Regional Consultant for PEHSU Region 9 in Hawaii. He is an attending physician on the Big Island of Hawaii where he serves as the assistant director of the emergency department at Kona Community Hospital, and is double board certified in Medical Toxicology and Emergency Medicine.

Sonja Swenson, MD

Sonja Swenson, MD is a pediatric specialist for WSPEHSU and a pediatrician who cares for patients from birth through their teenage years. In the newborn nursery, she welcomes babies into the world and provides support for their families. As a primary care provider, she enjoys counseling parents on a wide variety of topics, including how to develop good nutrition, behavior and sleep habits; manage chronic conditions; and connect with their children, particularly adolescents, as they learn to care for themselves. She has a special interest in breastfeeding and is a certified lactation counselor.

Swenson earned her medical degree at UCSF, where she also completed a residency in pediatrics.

Swenson was born and raised in the Bay Area. In her free time, she can be found at the public library, on the hiking trails, or at the playground with her daughters.

Stacy Laurent, MD

Dr. Stacy Laurent is board-certified in pediatrics and specializes in healthcare of children of all ages, from newborn to 18 years old. Her clinical interests are primary care and treatment of acute illness and injury. Dr. Laurent is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at UIC and assistant program director for the Pediatrics residency program. She graduated from medical school at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. She completed her pediatrics residency at the Children’s Hospital University of Illinois at Chicago (CHUI). 

Susan Buchanan, MD, MPH

Susan Buchanan, MD, MPH, is the director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s and Reproductive Environmental Health and a clinical associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UIC School of Public Health.  Buchanan is an expert in health problems related to toxic substances and other environmental hazards in the workplace or community. Her research interests include the health of minority, low-income, and immigrant workers; of children; and reproductive environmental health. She has published studies on the impact of fish consumption and mercury exposure in the Asian communities in Chicago; the use of protective gear among Latino day-laborers; and lead exposure among Chicago’s children. 

Susan Rubinstein, MPH

Susan has a master’s in public health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She has previously worked in HIV/AIDS and has vast experience in grants management and operations. Most recently, Susan worked for a nonprofit whose mission is facilitating the transition to a clean energy future. 

Teresa Conte, PhD

Dr. Teresa Conte is an associate professor of nursing at the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA. She has been a pediatric nurse with a focus in oncology for 28 years and is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Dr. Conte is a fellow of the Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses.

Victoria L. Green, MD, MHSA, MBA, JD

Dr. Green is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and a Fellow of both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Legal Medicine. She currently serves as director of the Gynecology Comprehensive Breast Clinic, a division of the Avon Breast Clinic in the Georgia Cancer Center of Excellence, Winship Cancer Institute, where she has direct responsibility for residency and medical student training. She has published several times and is both previously and currently very active in a number of research projects focusing on the Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM) patient safety bundles, breastfeeding rates in underserved populations, risk assessment and BRCA testing in the breast clinic population, applicability and clinical relevance of current risk assessment models and educational tools for patients at high risk for breast cancer, domestic violence issues in the minority population, barriers to HPV vaccination among minority women and the impact of the Medicaid revisions on pregnancy outcomes. She lectures regionally and nationally for both physicians and attorneys at leading conferences.  In addition, Dr. Green has functioned as a consultant for the Emory Regional Training Center, the LIFE Residency Wellness Curriculum Board and the State of Georgia, Department of Human Resources/ Women’s Health Division.

Wayne Garfinkel

Before retiring 3 years ago, Wayne Garfinkel was responsible for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Southeast Children’s Environmental Health Programs. This responsibility included liaison activities between the SE PEHSU and EPA, and implementing projects, programs and supporting research activities to reduce children’s exposures to radon, contaminated water, poor air quality, lead-based paint, pesticides, asbestos, mercury and other environmental hazards.

He received a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Florida and attended graduate school at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University.  He worked 40 years with the EPA and three years as an Engineering Consultant. Consulting engineering experience includes planning and managing construction of municipal waste pollution control facilities.  EPA work experience includes Pollution Prevention, Toxic Substances, Pesticides, Municipal Wastewater Facilities Design, Construction and Grant Management, Water Quality, Hazardous Waste and Remediation Engineering.

In addition to serving as a consultant for the SE PEHSU, he is the leader of the Roswell Marietta Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and volunteers for the Chattahoochee River Keepers, Environmental Voters Project and Backpack Buddies.

Whitney Sterten-Hall

Communications Lead for the PEHSU National Program Office. Whitney is a Communications Professional with over 5 years of experience at PHI on CDC funded programs. She helps organizations showcase their successes through various media that includes writing, podcast, graphics and video creation. Since 2014, Whitney has helped launch and grow global communications efforts in both non-profit and for-profit industries in education, travel and public health. She is passionate about celebrating perspectives across cultures, and empowering audiences by making information more accessible and easier to understand. Previously, Whitney spent four years supporting the PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship Program and one year supporting the Region 9 Emergency Preparedness Workplan. A highlight of her time on the fellowship was creating and producing the PHI/CDC Global Health Podcast, along with improving internal communications and streamlining complex processes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from New York University, an MSW from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Strategic Communications & Public Relations from Portland State University.