Molecular Epidemiology and Data Science

Our team utilizes an exposome and developmental origins of health framework to understand the impact of environmental exposures on human health across the life-course. We leverage biomarkers of physiological pathways and data science methods to advance precision environmental health and inform prevention and intervention efforts.

Current Projects

Multiomics for Health and Disease Consortium - LEÓN Study

U01HG013288 // Role: Multiple Principal Investigator

The Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD) Consortium aims to advance the application of multi-omic technologies to study health and disease in ancestrally diverse populations. USC was selected as a disease study site to develop the LEÓN Study (Longitudinal Longitudinal integration of Env. exposures, Omics & childhood NAFLD). This project will develop the largest and most comprehensive study on environmental exposures and the underlying mechanisms driving NAFLD risk and NAFLD progression that result in health disparities in Latino children. We will integrate state-of-the-art omics signatures using data science approaches to identify robust molecular profiles that are associated with NAFLD across different disease progression stages.

Collaborators:  University of Southern California [Lida Chatzi (MPI), David Conti, Jesse Goodrich, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati], Children’s Hospital Los Angeles [Rohit Kohli, Tania Mitsinikos, Alaina Vidmar, Michael Goran], University of Colorado Boulder [Tanya Alderete], and Sonoma Technology [Fred Lurmann, Nathan Pavlovic].

Harvard JPB Environmental Health Fellowship

Role: Principal Investigator

PFAS Risk and Intermediate biomarkers for Symptoms of Maternal depression (PRISM) Study. This project focuses on investigating prenatal exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as potential risk factors for maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postnatally. The project will also determine the extent to which bioactive lipids mediate the relationships between PFAS and depressive symptoms.

Collaborators:  University of Southern California [Tracy Bastain, Carrie Breton], University of California San Francisco [Tracey Woodruff, Erin DeMicco, Amy Padula], University of California Berkeley [Rachel Morello-Frosch], University of Illinois Urbana Champagne [Sue Schantz, Andrea Aguiar, Sarah Geiger].

MADRES Center Pilot Grant

Role: Multiple Principal Investigators

Air pollution, community-level social and neighborhood factors, and depression and anxiety in children of US born and immigrant parents. This project leverages data in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to investigate the contribution of air pollution exposures on childhood depression and anxiety scores and determines the potential modifying role of social factors, including immigrant status.

Collaborators:  Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez (MPI) and Megan Herting.

Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes:
Opportunity and Infrastructure Fund

Role: Principal Investigator

Development of an analytical framework for multivariate mediation analysis of the prenatal exposome, endogenous lipid mediators, and infant neurodevelopment. This project integrates data from the three cohorts within the ECHO program (Chemicals in Our Bodies, Illinois Kids Development Study, and the Puerto Rico PROTECT Cohort). The project focuses on characterizing bioactive lipid signatures linking altered neurodevelopment and exposures to chemical mixtures.

Collaborators:  Northeastern University [Akram Alshawabkeh, Emily Zimmerman, Gredia Huerta-Montanez]; University of Georgia [Jose Cordero, Carmen Vélez-Vega]; University of Puerto Rico [Zaira Rosario]; University of Michigan [John Meeker, Deborah Watkins, Bhramar Mukherjee, Amber Cathey, Subramaniam Pennathur, Lixia Zeng]; University of California San Francisco [Tracey Woodruff, Erin DeMicco, Amy Padula]; UC Berkeley [Rachel Morello-Frosch]; University of Illinois Urbana Champagne [Sue Schantz, Sarah Geiger, Andrea Aguiar]; Michigan State University [Rita Strakovsky]; Emory University [Stephanie Eick].

Key Publications

1. Cathey, A.L., Nguyen, V.K., Colacino, J.A., Woodruff, T.J., Reynolds, P. and Aung, M.T., 2023. Exploratory profiles of phenols, parabens, and per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances among NHANES study participants in association with previous cancer diagnoses. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, pp.1-12.

2. Aung, M.T., Eick, S.M., Padula, A.M., Smith, S., Park, J.S., DeMicco, E., Woodruff, T.J. and Morello-Frosch, R., 2023. Maternal per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances exposures associated with higher depressive symptom scores among immigrant women in the Chemicals in Our Bodies cohort in San Francisco. Environment International, 172, p.107758.

3. Aung, M.T., M. Bakulski, K., Feinberg, J.I., F. Dou, J., D. Meeker, J., Mukherjee, B., Loch-Caruso, R., Ladd-Acosta, C., Volk, H.E., Croen, L.A. and Hertz-Picciotto, I., 2022. Maternal blood metal concentrations and whole blood DNA methylation during pregnancy in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). Epigenetics, 17(3), pp.253-268.

4. Aung, M.T., Yu, Y., Ferguson, K.K., Cantonwine, D.E., Zeng, L., McElrath, T.F., Pennathur, S., Mukherjee, B. and Meeker, J.D., 2021. Cross-sectional estimation of endogenous biomarker associations with prenatal phenols, phthalates, metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in single-pollutant and mixtures analysis approaches. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129(3), p.037007.

5. Aung, M.T., Song, Y., Ferguson, K.K., Cantonwine, D.E., Zeng, L., McElrath, T.F., Pennathur, S., Meeker, J.D. and Mukherjee, B., 2020. Application of an analytical framework for multivariate mediation analysis of environmental data. Nature communications, 11(1), p.5624.

Research Areas

  • Molecular Epidemiology and Data Science

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  • Experimental Models of Toxicant Mechanisms

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  • Multi-Sector Science Translation

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