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Clinical research and Occupational Meddicine

Clinical Research and Occupational Directory

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U W X Y Z
Photo of Kathleen Black Ph.D., MPH
Kathleen Black, Ph.D., MPH
Program Manager Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Julie Caruth, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Director of Employee Health Services Rutgers-RBHS Employee HealthEOHSI – CROM
Adam Cesmebasi, MD
Resident Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Linda Christiansen RN, COHN
Linda Christiansen, RN, COHN
Staff Nurse Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Tina Cirillo
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Adriana De Resende
Clinical Research Coordinator II Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Martin Duggan, DO
Resident Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Michael Gochfeld M.D., Ph.D.
Michael Gochfeld, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Research Areas

My main area of research has focused on heavy metals exposure and effect. The current emphasis is on the relationship between mercury and selenium exposure and balancing the risks against benefits of fish consumption. Much of this work involves Native American and Alaskan Native communities.

A second area focuses on the environmental consequences of energy options, examining nuclear options in the light of the spent nuclear fuel impasse and the Fukushima disaster vs unintended consequences of renewable energy. This has been developed as an outgrowth of our CRESP work on hazardous waste, risk management, and land use decisions with the U.S. Department of Energy.

A third area focuses on incorporating workplace health and safety equity into the EPA’s “Environmental Justice” paradigm.

Research Highlights

  • Participation in an EPA Environmental Justice Symposium resulted in exploration of the importance of outliers in risk management and the importance of occupational exposures as part of a comprehensive Environmental Justice paradigm.
  • The role of selenium in protecting against mercury toxicity has been known for 40 years, but the mechanism(s) of the interaction remain unclear. This study examines whether the Se:Hg molar ratio predicts mercury toxicity from fish consumption.

Scholarly Activities

  • Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine: Chair of Curriculum Committee
  • Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: M1 Block Directors Committee
  • Special Committee on Health, Productivity, and Disability Management, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
  • Chair Committee on History of OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits

Recent Publications

  1. Burger, J, Jeitner, C, Zappalorti, RT, Bunnell, JF, Ng, K, DeVito, E, Schneider, D, Gochfeld, M. Snake Fungal Disease in Free-Ranging Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) in New Jersey: Lesions, Severity of Sores and Investigator's Perceptions. J Fungi (Basel). 2024;10 (2):. doi: 10.3390/jof10020125. PubMed PMID:38392797 PubMed Central PMC10889963
  2. Burger, J, Gochfeld, M, Brown, KG, Ng, K, Cortes, M, Kosson, D. The importance of recognizing Buffer Zones to lands being developed, restored, or remediated: on planning for protection of ecological resources. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2024;87 (4):133-149. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2285511. PubMed PMID:37997947 PubMed Central PMC10843829
  3. Burger, J, Feigin, S, Ng, K, Jeitner, C, Tsipoura, N, Niles, L, Gochfeld, M. Some metals and metalloids in the blood of three species of shorebirds increase while foraging during two-week migratory stopover in Delaware Bay, New Jersey. Environ Res. 2023;238 (Pt 2):117194. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117194. PubMed PMID:37748669 PubMed Central PMC10841762
  4. Burger, J, Gochfeld, M, Giffen, N, Brown, KG, Cortes, M, Ng, K, Kosson, DS. Comparing land cover and interior forests on contaminated land and the surrounding region: Oak Ridge Reservation as a case study. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2023;86 (15):501-517. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2023.2223231. PubMed PMID:37335075
  5. Burger, J, Gochfeld, M, Zappalorti, R, Bunnell, J, Jeitner, C, Schneider, D, Ng, K, DeVito, E, Lorch, JM. Prevalence of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola and epizootiology of snake fungal disease in free-ranging Northern Pine Snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) in New Jersey. Environ Monit Assess. 2023;195 (6):662. doi: 10.1007/s10661-023-11259-w. PubMed PMID:37169998
  6. Soskolne, CL, Kramer, S, Ramos-Bonilla, JP, Mandrioli, D, Sass, J, Gochfeld, M, Cranor, CF, Advani, S, Bero, LA. Correction: Toolkit for detecting misused epidemiological methods. Environ Health. 2022;21 (1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00938-9. PubMed PMID:36368967 PubMed Central PMC9652904
  7. Soskolne, CL, Bero, LA, Kramer, S, Gochfeld, M, Ramos-Bonilla, JP, Sass, J, Cranor, CF, Advani, S, Mandrioli, D. Response to Toshihide Tsuda, Yumiko Miyano and Eiji Yamamoto [1]. Environ Health. 2022;21 (1):100. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00913-4. PubMed PMID:36284322 PubMed Central PMC9597996
  8. Gochfeld, M. Information needs, approaches, and case studies in human health risk communication. Risk Anal. 2022;42 (11):2376-2399. doi: 10.1111/risa.14006. PubMed PMID:36100396 PubMed Central PMC10087356
  9. Mendoza, FA, Bagley, J, Gochfeld, M, Dalakas, MC, Farber, JL, Jimenez, SA. Progressive multifocal fibrosing neuropathy: description of a novel disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2022;10 (1):34. doi: 10.1186/s40478-022-01341-8. PubMed PMID:35296359 PubMed Central PMC8925190
  10. Burger, J, Gochfeld, M, Kosson, DS, Brown, KG, Salisbury, J, Greenberg, M, Jeitner, C. Combining ecological, eco-cultural, and environmental justice parameters to create Eco-EJ indicators to monitor cultural and environmental justices for diverse communities around contaminated sites. Environ Monit Assess. 2022;194 (3):177. doi: 10.1007/s10661-021-09535-8. PubMed PMID:35150318 PubMed Central PMC9488455
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Photo of William K. Hallman Ph.D.
William K. Hallman, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Human Ecology Rutgers University – School of Environmental and Biological SciencesEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Dr. William K. Hallman is a Professor in the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. An experimental psychologist with expertise in consumer perceptions of risk and risk communication, his scholarship has focused on numerous issues concerning health, food, technology, and the environment. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, abstracts, and monographs, including studies of public perceptions, communications, and behavior change strategies involving environmental contaminants, unexplained symptom syndromes, infectious and non-infectious diseases, food safety, foodborne illness outbreaks, food recalls, food insecurity, food labeling, nutrition, and preventive health behaviors. He has also conducted extensive studies of consumer perceptions and acceptance of new food technologies including genetically modified foods, nanotechnology in food and agriculture, gene editing, and cell-cultured meat, poultry, and seafood.

Dr. Hallman is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis, and a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Climate Crossroads Advisory Committee, a member of the US FDA’s Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee (NDAC), and a member of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness Recall Modernization Working Group. He has served as the Director of the Rutgers Food Policy Institute, as Chair of the FDA’s Risk Communication Advisory Committee, and as a U.S. Delegate to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Safety Cooperation Forum, which published the APEC Food Safety Risk Communication Framework and Associated Guidelines. He is a co-author of the Risk Communication Applied to Food Safety Handbook, published jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). He is also a co-author of Communicating Science Effectively, A Research Agenda, published by the National Academies.

Recent Publications

  1. Ashby, E, Minicucci, C, Liao, J, Buonsenso, D, González-Dambrauskas, S, Obregón, R, Zahn, M, Hallman, W, John, C. Systems Thinking for Public Health: A Case Study Using U.S. Public Education. NAM Perspect. 2023;2023 :. doi: 10.31478/202311a. PubMed PMID:38784633 PubMed Central PMC11114595
  2. McKeon, GP, Hallman, WK. Front-of-Package Protein Labels on Cereal Create Health Halos. Foods. 2024;13 (8):. doi: 10.3390/foods13081139. PubMed PMID:38672812 PubMed Central PMC11049005
  3. Hallman, WK, Hallman, WK 2nd, Hallman, EE. Cell-based, cell-cultured, cell-cultivated, cultured, or cultivated. What is the best name for meat, poultry, and seafood made directly from the cells of animals?. NPJ Sci Food. 2023;7 (1):62. doi: 10.1038/s41538-023-00234-x. PubMed PMID:38057390 PubMed Central PMC10700563
  4. Zhang, M, Lu, J, Hallman, WK. Sharing on Facebook and Face-to-Face What Others Do or Approve: Word-of-Mouth Driven by Social Norms. Front Psychol. 2021;12 :712253. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712253. PubMed PMID:34671296 PubMed Central PMC8521032
  5. Zhang, M, Zhang, Y, Hallman, WK, Williams, JD. Eating green for health or social benefits? Interactions of attitudes with self-identity on the consumption of vegetarian meals among U.S. and Chinese college students. Appetite. 2021;167 :105652. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105652. PubMed PMID:34418504
  6. Hallman, WK, Hallman, WK 2nd. A comparison of cell-based and cell-cultured as appropriate common or usual names to label products made from the cells of fish. J Food Sci. 2021;86 (9):3798-3809. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.15860. PubMed PMID:34337762 PubMed Central PMC8518778
  7. Briggs, T, Quick, V, Hallman, WK. Feature Availability Comparison in Free and Paid Versions of Popular Smartphone Weight Management Applications. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2021;53 (9):732-741. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.05.010. PubMed PMID:34315678
  8. Tallapragada, M, Hardy, BW, Lybrand, E, Hallman, WK. Impact of Abstract Versus Concrete Conceptualization of Genetic Modification (GM) Technology on Public Perceptions. Risk Anal. 2021;41 (6):976-991. doi: 10.1111/risa.13591. PubMed PMID:32984992
  9. Hallman, WK, Hallman, WK 2nd. An empirical assessment of common or usual names to label cell-based seafood products. J Food Sci. 2020;85 (8):2267-2277. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.15351. PubMed PMID:32691419 PubMed Central PMC7496225
  10. Berhaupt-Glickstein, A, Hooker, NH, Hallman, WK. Qualified Health Claim Language affects Purchase Intentions for Green Tea Products in the United States. Nutrients. 2019;11 (4):. doi: 10.3390/nu11040921. PubMed PMID:31022930 PubMed Central PMC6521090
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Photo of Deanna Harper
Deanna Harper
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Jun-Yan Hong
Rutgers School of Publc HealthEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Howard Kipen MPH. MD
Howard Kipen, MPH. MD
Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Rutgers University – School of Public HealthEOHSI – Director, Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Dr. Kipen received his BA from UC Berkeley and his MD from UC San Francisco and MPH from Columbia University.  He completed an internal medicine residency at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, and a fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical  Center, Environmental Sciences Laboratory, in Manhattan.

Research Areas

Dr. Kipen’s research focuses on clinical and epidemiological studies of the health effects of ambient and indoor air pollution. He works closely with Rob Laumbach of the CROM division as well as Debra Laskin and Andrew Gow of Toxicology. They use both controlled human  exposure models and real-world clinical studies to develop and test mechanistic biomarkers of air pollution toxicity. Concentrating on biomarkers of cardiopulmonary effects, prior studies have examined fresh diesel exhaust and secondary organic aerosols. We are currently studying effects of controlled ozone exposures on macrophage phenotypes in induced sputum.   Working in the real world, we have examined cardiopulmonary and oxidative stress outcomes in highway passengers who were driven in a diesel-enriched enriched environment. More recently we examined the ability of portable air cleaners to reduce indoor particulate air pollution and consequent biomarkers of cardiopulmonary health in elderly apartment dwellers.   In light of the current pandemic we have used our experience measuring and filtering particulates in homes to examine SARS-coV-2  aerosols in patient homes.  A more recent interest is to explore underlying mechanisms for the robust human finding of acute cognitive impairment from inhaled CO2 at commonly encountered levels.

Research Highlights

With former EOHSI members Jim Zhang and David Rich, we conducted a panel study of 130 Beijing medical students built around the Chinese Government’s drastic reductions in air pollution during the 2008 Olympics. We observed broad declines in multiple oxidative stress, inflammatory, and platelet activation biomarkers. Major results have been published in JAMA and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine with multiple subsidiary papers and a complete report published by the Health Effects Institute. We have Analogous increases in vascular and pulmonary oxidative stress  have ben demonstrated after a 90 minute ride on the NJ Turnpike. Similar findings have been found using controlled exposure to fresh diesel exhaust iin our controlled environment  facility. Related effects have been shown with New Jersey air pollution on the Turnpike and are being evaluated with air cleaners in individual homes.

Significant declines in proteasome (UPP) activity after exposure to secondary organic aerosol and diesel exhaust were observed immediately following exposure in healthy subjects, although our prior work did not reveal apparent nasal inflammatory effects from acute exposures to secondary organic aerosol. The above declines in proteasome activity showed a significant interaction (3-fold increase) in subjects with the ILE/ILE polymorphism of GSTP1.

Scholarly Activities

  • Chair, NASA Human Research Program’s Advanced Environmental Health / Advanced Food Technology Standing Review Panel (2015-2018)
  • Chair, Scientific Assembly on Environmental, Occupational, and Population Health, American Thoracic Society (2017-2019)
  • Member, National Academies Standing Committee on Medical and Epidemiological Aspects of Air Pollution on U.S. Government Employees and their Families, 2016-2021.
  • Director, Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core, Rutgers Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease (CEED), NIEHS
  • Chair / Member Multiple Ad Hoc Grant Review Panels (e.g., NIEHS, Department of Defense)
  • Governor’s Appointee, Public Employee’s Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, New Jersey Department of Labor
  • Member, Public Health Scientific Advisory Board, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Howard Kipen’s Publications

Recent Publications

  1. Ji N, Fang M1. 11.Baptista A, Cepeda C, Greenberg M, Mincey IC, Ohman-Strickland P, Haynes F, Fiedler N, Kipen HM, Laumbach RJ. Exposure to traffic-related airpollution and changes in exhaled nitric oxide and DNA methylation in arginase andnitric oxide synthase in children with asthma. Environ Health. 2021 Feb 11; 20(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s12940-020-00678-8. PMID: 33573660; PMCID: PMC7879528
  2. Laumbach RJ, Mainelis G, Black KG, Myers NT, Ohman-Strickland P, Alimokhtari S, Hastings S, Legard A, De Resende A, Calderón L, Lu FT, Kipen HM. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Residences of Adults with COVID-19. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021 Nov 11. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202107-847RL. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34762562.
  3. Hussain, S., Laumbach, R., Coleman, J., Youssef, H., Kelly-McNeil, K., Ohman-Strickland, P., Zhang, J., & Kipen, H.M. Controlled Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Causes Increased Nitrite in Exhaled Breath Condensate among Subjects with Asthma.  J Occup Environ Med 54(10): 1186-91, Oct 2012. PMCID: PMC4443752

Other Publications

  1. Yang, Z, Black, K, Ohman-Strickland, P, Graber, JM, Kipen, HM, Fang, M, Zarbl, H. Disruption of central and peripheral circadian clocks and circadian controlled estrogen receptor rhythms in night shift nurses in working environments. FASEB J. 2024;38 (11):e23719. doi: 10.1096/fj.202302261RR. PubMed PMID:38837828
  2. Lu, FT, Laumbach, RJ, Legard, A, Myers, NT, Black, KG, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, de Resende, A, Calderón, L, Mainelis, G et al.. Real-World Effectiveness of Portable Air Cleaners in Reducing Home Particulate Matter Concentrations. Aerosol Air Qual Res. 2024;24 (1):. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.230202. PubMed PMID:38618024 PubMed Central PMC11014421
  3. Caruth, J, Black, K, Legard, A, De Resende, A, Getz, K, Borowski, M, Debilio, L, Brewer, A, Kipen, H, Udasin, IG et al.. Incidence and Predictors of COVID-19 Infection in Prison Healthcare Workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2023;65 (7):573-579. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002836. PubMed PMID:36882811 PubMed Central PMC10329989
  4. Gholizadeh, A, Black, K, Kipen, H, Laumbach, R, Gow, A, Weisel, C, Javanmard, M. Detection of respiratory inflammation biomarkers in non-processed exhaled breath condensate samples using reduced graphene oxide. RSC Adv. 2022;12 (55):35627-35638. doi: 10.1039/d2ra05764f. PubMed PMID:36545081 PubMed Central PMC9745889
  5. Myers, NT, Laumbach, RJ, Black, KG, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, Legard, A, De Resende, A, Calderón, L, Lu, FT, Mainelis, G et al.. Portable air cleaners and residential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 aerosols: A real-world study. Indoor Air. 2022;32 (4):e13029. doi: 10.1111/ina.13029. PubMed PMID:35481935 PubMed Central PMC9111720
  6. Laumbach, RJ, Mainelis, G, Black, KG, Myers, NT, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, Hastings, S, Legard, A, de Resende, A, Calderón, L et al.. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Residences of Adults with COVID-19. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2022;19 (2):338-341. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202107-847RL. PubMed PMID:34762562 PubMed Central PMC8867362
  7. Zhang, JJ, Kan, H, Kipen, HM. Respiratory health, children's lung function, and air quality in four Chinese cities: two snapshots in 1993-1996 and 2017-2018. J Thorac Dis. 2020;12 (10):6311-6314. doi: 10.21037/jtd-19-crh-aq-preface. PubMed PMID:33209470 PubMed Central PMC7656390
  8. Malaviya, R, Kipen, HM, Businaro, R, Laskin, JD, Laskin, DL. Pulmonary toxicants and fibrosis: innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2020;409 :115272. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115272. PubMed PMID:33031836 PubMed Central PMC9960630
  9. Radbel, J, Laskin, DL, Laskin, JD, Kipen, HM. Disease-modifying treatment of chemical threat agent-induced acute lung injury. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2020;1480 (1):14-29. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14438. PubMed PMID:32726497 PubMed Central PMC10250775
  10. Kipen, HM, Laskin, DL. NETs: a new biomarker of traffic-related air pollution exposure: are they ready to catch fish?. Eur Respir J. 2020;55 (4):. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00305-2020. PubMed PMID:32245775 PubMed Central PMC10250776
  11. Sunil, VR, Radbel, J, Hussain, S, Vayas, KN, Cervelli, J, Deen, M, Kipen, H, Udasin, I, Laumbach, R, Sunderram, J et al.. Sarcoid-Like Granulomatous Disease: Pathologic Case Series in World Trade Center Dust Exposed Rescue and Recovery Workers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16 (5):. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16050815. PubMed PMID:30845693 PubMed Central PMC6427752
  12. Chiao, S, Kipen, H, Hallman, WK, Pollio, DE, North, CS. Anthrax Exposure, Belief in Exposure, and Postanthrax Symptoms Among Survivors of a Bioterrorist Attack on Capitol Hill. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2019;13 (3):555-560. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2018.115. PubMed PMID:30417804
  13. Fiedler, N, Weisel, C, Nwankwo, C, Kipen, H, Lange, G, Ohman-Strickland, P, Laumbach, R. Chronic Exposure to Solvents Among Construction Painters: Reductions in Exposure and Neurobehavioral Health Effects. J Occup Environ Med. 2018;60 (12):e663-e670. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001470. PubMed PMID:30308619 PubMed Central PMC6289817
  14. Gholizadeh, A, Voiry, D, Weisel, C, Gow, A, Laumbach, R, Kipen, H, Chhowalla, M, Javanmard, M. Toward point-of-care management of chronic respiratory conditions: Electrochemical sensing of nitrite content in exhaled breath condensate using reduced graphene oxide. Microsyst Nanoeng. 2017;3 :17022. doi: 10.1038/micronano.2017.22. PubMed PMID:31057865 PubMed Central PMC6444995
  15. Thurston, GD, Kipen, H, Annesi-Maesano, I, Balmes, J, Brook, RD, Cromar, K, De Matteis, S, Forastiere, F, Forsberg, B, Frampton, MW et al.. A joint ERS/ATS policy statement: what constitutes an adverse health effect of air pollution? An analytical framework. Eur Respir J. 2017;49 (1):. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00419-2016. PubMed PMID:28077473 PubMed Central PMC5751718
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Photo of Robert Laumbach M.D., M.P.H., C.I.H.
Robert Laumbach, M.D., M.P.H., C.I.H.
Associate Professor Rutgers University – School of Public HealthEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Research Areas
Current research interests are focused on two areas: 1) the interactive effects of exposure to multiple air pollutants and psychosocial stressors, and their cumulative impact on urban disparities in asthma, heart disease and cancer and 2) biological mechanisms underlying the effects of diesel exhaust and other air pollutants on pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. Approaches include community-based participatory research, controlled exposure studies, and semi-controlled “real-world” environmental exposure studies.

Research Highlights

  • Using controlled exposure to study interactions between exposure to diesel exhaust and psychological stress, we demonstrated that diesel exhaust can cause systemic “sickness response symptoms” in young healthy adults
  • Using controlled exposure, we demonstrated that 1-aminopyrene may be a useful, specific biomarker for exposure to diesel exhaust.
  • A simulated commuter car ride caused changes in cardiovascular function among volunteers with diabetes, measured as a decrease in heart rate variability at 24 hours after the ride
  • Exposure to plume of dust and smoke from the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster was not associated with increased respiratory symptoms outside of the lower Manhattan area

Scholarly Activities

  • Development of collaborative relationships with stakeholders interested in applying scientific principles and knowledge to mitigate the environmental health problems and injustices in urban communities and communities adjacent to seaports in New Jersey.
  • Promotion of science in public health policy in New Jersey through service on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Science Advisory Board and New Jersey Clean Air Council.

Recent Publications

  1. Ayappa, I, Laumbach, R, Black, K, Weintraub, M, Agarwala, P, Twumasi, A, Sanders, H, Udasin, I, Harrison, D, de la Hoz, RE et al.. Nasal resistance and inflammation: mechanisms for obstructive sleep apnea from chronic rhinosinusitis. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024; :. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.11216. PubMed PMID:38888597
  2. Lu, FT, Laumbach, RJ, Legard, A, Myers, NT, Black, KG, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, de Resende, A, Calderón, L, Mainelis, G et al.. Real-World Effectiveness of Portable Air Cleaners in Reducing Home Particulate Matter Concentrations. Aerosol Air Qual Res. 2024;24 (1):. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.230202. PubMed PMID:38618024 PubMed Central PMC11014421
  3. Gholizadeh, A, Black, K, Kipen, H, Laumbach, R, Gow, A, Weisel, C, Javanmard, M. Detection of respiratory inflammation biomarkers in non-processed exhaled breath condensate samples using reduced graphene oxide. RSC Adv. 2022;12 (55):35627-35638. doi: 10.1039/d2ra05764f. PubMed PMID:36545081 PubMed Central PMC9745889
  4. Myers, NT, Laumbach, RJ, Black, KG, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, Legard, A, De Resende, A, Calderón, L, Lu, FT, Mainelis, G et al.. Portable air cleaners and residential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 aerosols: A real-world study. Indoor Air. 2022;32 (4):e13029. doi: 10.1111/ina.13029. PubMed PMID:35481935 PubMed Central PMC9111720
  5. Laumbach, RJ, Cromar, KR. Personal Interventions to Reduce Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution. Annu Rev Public Health. 2022;43 :293-309. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052120-103607. PubMed PMID:34936825
  6. Laumbach, RJ, Mainelis, G, Black, KG, Myers, NT, Ohman-Strickland, P, Alimokhtari, S, Hastings, S, Legard, A, de Resende, A, Calderón, L et al.. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Residences of Adults with COVID-19. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2022;19 (2):338-341. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202107-847RL. PubMed PMID:34762562 PubMed Central PMC8867362
  7. Sastry, J, Agawane, S, Rajan, M, Black, K, Laumbach, R, Ramagopal, M. The effect of the indoor environment on wheeze- and sleep-related symptoms in young Indian children. Lung India. 2021;38 (4):307-313. doi: 10.4103/lungindia.lungindia_120_20. PubMed PMID:34259167 PubMed Central PMC8272434
  8. Jan, I, Chen, K, Sayan, M, Uprety, P, Laumbach, RJ, Ennis, RD, Haffty, BG. Prevalence of Surface Contamination With SARS-CoV-2 in a Radiation Oncology Clinic. JAMA Oncol. 2020;6 (10):1632-1634. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.3552. PubMed PMID:32852509 PubMed Central PMC7453342
  9. Mariduena, J, Ramagopal, M, Hiatt, M, Chandra, S, Laumbach, R, Hegyi, T. Vascular endothelial growth factor levels and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35 (8):1517-1522. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2020.1760826. PubMed PMID:32366142
  10. Laumbach, RJ. Clearing the Air on Personal Interventions to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2019;16 (7):815-818. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201812-894PS. PubMed PMID:31145636 PubMed Central PMC6600837
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Alicia Legard
Technical Assistamt Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Paul Lehrer Ph.D.
Paul Lehrer, Ph.D.
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Research Areas

  • Heart rate variability biofeedback as a treatment for asthma: a complement or alternative to steroids?
  • Psychological treatment of comorbid asthma and panic disorder
  • Heart rate variability biofeedback as a treatment for chronic drug and alcohol abuse
  • Psychophysiological correlates of emotional stimulation: relationship to chronic mood states, and tendencies to substance abuse
  • Measurement of adaptability and health: modeling control systems, oscillations as reflecting system stability
  • Exploring psychophysiological treatment approaches for patients with multiple unexplained physical symptoms
  • Psychophysiological factors in human optimal performance

Research Highlights

  • Found that heart rate variability biofeedback is 100% effective in preventing asthma exacerbations, while allowing lower doses of steroids, producing better pulmonary function, and fewer symptoms
  • Found that heart rate variability biofeedback improves symptomatology and depression among individuals with multiple unexplained physical symptoms
  • Found that people with negative mood states tend to have a greater thoracic than abdominal component in breathing
  • Developed a cognitive behavioral treatment that effectively helps people with comorbid asthma and panic disorder, improving both diseases, allowing less use of albuterol
  • Found that airplane pilots show patterns of hyperventilation and psychophysiological hyperarousal during difficult flight tasks
  • Found that sighing plays an important role in regulation of the respiratory system
  • Stimulation of the baroreflexes by heart rate variability biofeedback: a method for increasing autonomic stability and homeostasisa

Scholarly Activities

  • Associate editor, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and International Journal of Stress Management
  • Recent keynote talks to various scholarly organizations, including:
    • Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
    • German Biofeedback Society
    • Baltic Area Biofeedback Society
    • International Society for Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology
    • American Society for Clinical Hypnosis
  • Member of the Research Committee, UMDNJ, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • President, USA branch of the International stress Management Association
  • Past president of Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and the International Association for Advancement of Respiratory Psychophysiology
  • Found that heart rate variability biofeedback decreases the autonomic downregulation produced by exposure to inflammatory cytokines

Recent Publications

  1. Aschbacher, K, Mather, M, Lehrer, P, Gevirtz, R, Epel, E, Peiper, NC. Real-time heart rate variability biofeedback amplitude during a large-scale digital mental health intervention differed by age, gender, and mental and physical health. Psychophysiology. 2024;61 (6):e14533. doi: 10.1111/psyp.14533. PubMed PMID:38454612
  2. Yoo, HJ, Nashiro, K, Dutt, S, Min, J, Cho, C, Thayer, JF, Lehrer, P, Chang, C, Mather, M. Daily biofeedback to modulate heart rate oscillations affects structural volume in hippocampal subregions targeted by the locus coeruleus in older adults but not younger adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2023;132 :85-99. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.010. PubMed PMID:37769491 PubMed Central PMC10840698
  3. Yoo, HJ, Nashiro, K, Dutt, S, Min, J, Cho, C, Thayer, JF, Lehrer, P, Chang, C, Mather, M. Daily biofeedback to modulate heart rate oscillations affects structural volume in hippocampal subregions targeted by the locus coeruleus in older adults but not younger adults. medRxiv. 2023; :. doi: 10.1101/2023.03.02.23286715. PubMed PMID:37745356 PubMed Central PMC10516053
  4. Bachman, SL, Cole, S, Yoo, HJ, Nashiro, K, Min, J, Mercer, N, Nasseri, P, Thayer, JF, Lehrer, P, Mather, M et al.. Daily heart rate variability biofeedback training decreases locus coeruleus MRI contrast in younger adults in a randomized clinical trial. Int J Psychophysiol. 2023;193 :112241. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.08.014. PubMed PMID:37647944 PubMed Central PMC10591988
  5. Yoo, HJ, Nashiro, K, Min, J, Cho, C, Mercer, N, Bachman, SL, Nasseri, P, Dutt, S, Porat, S, Choi, P et al.. Multimodal neuroimaging data from a 5-week heart rate variability biofeedback randomized clinical trial. Sci Data. 2023;10 (1):503. doi: 10.1038/s41597-023-02396-5. PubMed PMID:37516756 PubMed Central PMC10387077
  6. Bates, ME, Eddie, D, Lehrer, PM, Nolan, RP, Siepmann, M. Editorial: Integrated cardiovascular and neural system processes as potential mechanisms of behavior change. Front Psychiatry. 2023;14 :1175691. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1175691. PubMed PMID:37032946 PubMed Central PMC10074486
  7. Cho, C, Yoo, HJ, Min, J, Nashiro, K, Thayer, JF, Lehrer, PM, Mather, M. Changes in Medial Prefrontal Cortex Mediate Effects of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Positive Emotional Memory Biases. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2023;48 (2):135-147. doi: 10.1007/s10484-023-09579-1. PubMed PMID:36658380 PubMed Central PMC10195741
  8. Nashiro, K, Yoo, HJ, Cho, C, Min, J, Feng, T, Nasseri, P, Bachman, SL, Lehrer, P, Thayer, JF, Mather, M et al.. Correction: Effects of a Randomised Trial of 5-Week Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Intervention on Cognitive Function: Possible Benefits for Inhibitory Control. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2023;48 (1):49. doi: 10.1007/s10484-022-09563-1. PubMed PMID:36152080 PubMed Central PMC10074510
  9. Nashiro, K, Min, J, Yoo, HJ, Cho, C, Bachman, SL, Dutt, S, Thayer, JF, Lehrer, PM, Feng, T, Mercer, N et al.. Increasing coordination and responsivity of emotion-related brain regions with a heart rate variability biofeedback randomized trial. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2023;23 (1):66-83. doi: 10.3758/s13415-022-01032-w. PubMed PMID:36109422 PubMed Central PMC9931635
  10. Yoo, HJ, Nashiro, K, Min, J, Cho, C, Bachman, SL, Nasseri, P, Porat, S, Dutt, S, Grigoryan, V, Choi, P et al.. Heart rate variability (HRV) changes and cortical volume changes in a randomized trial of five weeks of daily HRV biofeedback in younger and older adults. Int J Psychophysiol. 2022;181 :50-63. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.08.006. PubMed PMID:36030986 PubMed Central PMC11195601
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Karen Lin
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Ruth Lin
Physician Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Bindhu Mathew
Bindhu Mathew
Nurse Case Manager Rutgers UniversityEOHSI-Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Kristopher Minsinger, MD
Resident EOHSI-Rutgers UniversityClinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Phyllis Morgan
Phyllis Morgan
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Maria Nagrowski
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Hasan Nezam, MD
Resident EOHSI-Rutgers UniversityClinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Emily Pearlman
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – World Trade Center Health Program – Clinical Center of Excellence
Photo of Michael Pratt M.D.
Michael Pratt, M.D.
Director of Residency Program in Occupational and Environmental Medicine Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Education

  • MPH, UMDNJ School of Public Health, New Jersey
  • MD, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana

Current Professional Activities

  • Residency Director, Rutgers Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency
  • Clinical Physician in the Employee, Occupational Health, and World Trade Center Clinics

Memberships

  • American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
  • American College of Preventive Medicine
  • Past Member of American College of Emergency Physicians

Honors

  • Bernard D. Goldstein, MD Award for Academic Excellence
  • Delta Omega, Alpha Eta Chapter, Public Health Honorary Society

Research Interests

Dr. Pratt is interested in the recognition, management, and prevention of illness and injury from conditions and exposures in the home, community, and workplace environment. He works to advance occupational and environmental resident physician education. He is a principle investigator (PI) on the NIOSH training grant and the PI for an annual national survey of Occupational and Environmental Medicine program directors. His most recent interests include occupationally-acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Sally Radovick, M.D.
Professor, Department of Pediiatrics Rutgers UniversityRBHS, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Photo of Elaine Randolph
Elaine Randolph
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Skylar Reams
Senior Receptionist Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Tracy Reid, MPH
Administrator, WTC Health Program Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Usmaan Shah MD
Usmaan Shah, MD
Resident Rutgers UniversityEOHSI Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Brenda Sookhram
Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Patricia Starke RN
Patricia Starke, RN
Nurse Case Manager Rutgers UniversityEOHSI Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine – World Trade Center
Photo of Jodi Streich Ph.D.
Jodi Streich, Ph.D.
Mental Health Director – World Trade Center Clinical Center of Excellence Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Deborah Thurston, RN
Nurse Case Manager – WTC RutgersEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Iris Udasin M.D.
Iris Udasin, M.D.
Professor, Medical Director EOHSI Clinical Center Rutgers University- School of Public HealthEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine

Research Areas

My chief area of interest is health effects of World Trade Center exposures, including aerodigestive medical effects, as well as the interaction of both physical and mental health effects and exposure to toxins. I am also interested in health issues in health care workers, laboratory workers, teachers, police officers, and fire fighters. I am interested in occupational and environmental asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Research Highlights

  • Principal investigator World trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program Longitudinal study
  • Influenza vaccine decisions
  • Effect of training to prevent work place violence

Scholarly Activities

I serve on the steering committee for World trade Center medical monitoring and treatment program. I have presented grand rounds concerning World Trade Center in statewide, national, and international forums. I serve as Director of employee health and have spoken nationally at several physician meetings.

Recent Publications

  1. Ayappa, I, Laumbach, R, Black, K, Weintraub, M, Agarwala, P, Twumasi, A, Sanders, H, Udasin, I, Harrison, D, de la Hoz, RE et al.. Nasal resistance and inflammation: mechanisms for obstructive sleep apnea from chronic rhinosinusitis. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024; :. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.11216. PubMed PMID:38888597
  2. Sunderram, J, Legard, A, De Resende, A, Black, K, Udasin, IG, Lu, SE, Romero Castillo, H, Ravi, SS, Mullins, AE, de la Hoz, RE et al.. Lack of association of impaired upper airway sensation with the presence or absence of obstructive sleep apnoea or chronic rhinosinusitis in World Trade Center responders. Occup Environ Med. 2024;81 (6):302-307. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2023-109262. PubMed PMID:38871449 PubMed Central PMC11239276
  3. Udasin, IG, Sunderram, J, Calvert, G. The World Trade Center Health Program: Obstructive sleep apnea best practices. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2023;78 (4):241-243. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2023.2195604. PubMed PMID:37017101
  4. Caruth, J, Black, K, Legard, A, De Resende, A, Getz, K, Borowski, M, Debilio, L, Brewer, A, Kipen, H, Udasin, IG et al.. Incidence and Predictors of COVID-19 Infection in Prison Healthcare Workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2023;65 (7):573-579. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002836. PubMed PMID:36882811 PubMed Central PMC10329989
  5. Lin, RA, Calvert, GM, Udasin, IG. World Trade Center Health Program best practices for the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2023;78 (4):236-240. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2023.2171958. PubMed PMID:36744643
  6. Calvert, GM, Anderson, K, Cochran, J, Cone, JE, Harrison, DJ, Haugen, PT, Lilly, G, Lowe, SM, Luft, BJ, Moline, JM et al.. The World Trade Center Health Program: an introduction to best practices. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2023;78 (4):199-205. doi: 10.1080/19338244.2022.2156975. PubMed PMID:36533439 PubMed Central PMC10277307
  7. Gibson, R, Whealin, JM, Dasaro, CR, Udasin, IG, Crane, M, Moline, JM, Harrison, DJ, Luft, BJ, Todd, AC, Schechter, C et al.. Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation in World Trade Center responders: Results from a population-based health monitoring cohort. J Affect Disord. 2022;306 :62-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.011. PubMed PMID:35283182
  8. Marchese, S, Cancelmo, L, Diab, O, Cahn, L, Aaronson, C, Daskalakis, NP, Schaffer, J, Horn, SR, Johnson, JS, Schechter, C et al.. Altered gene expression and PTSD symptom dimensions in World Trade Center responders. Mol Psychiatry. 2022;27 (4):2225-2246. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01457-2. PubMed PMID:35177824
  9. Sacks, HS, Smirnoff, M, Carson, D, Cooney, ML, Shapiro, MZ, Hahn, CJ, Dasaro, CR, Crowson, C, Tassiulas, I, Hirten, RP et al.. Autoimmune conditions in the World Trade Center general responder cohort: A nested case-control and standardized incidence ratio analysis. Am J Ind Med. 2022;65 (2):117-131. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23313. PubMed PMID:34825393 PubMed Central PMC8851411
  10. Belpomme, D, Carlo, GL, Irigaray, P, Carpenter, DO, Hardell, L, Kundi, M, Belyaev, I, Havas, M, Adlkofer, F, Heuser, G et al.. The Critical Importance of Molecular Biomarkers and Imaging in the Study of Electrohypersensitivity. A Scientific Consensus International Report. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22 (14):. doi: 10.3390/ijms22147321. PubMed PMID:34298941 PubMed Central PMC8304862
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Ling Wang
Pharmacy Technician Rutgers UniversityEOHSI- Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Shannon Wiese, RN,BSN
Staff Nurse Rutgers UniversityEOHSI – Employee Health and World Trade Center Health Program Clinic
Kate York,, LCSW
Cllinician Supervisor World Trade Center Health ProgramEOHSI – Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine
Photo of Wei-Xing Zong Ph.D.
Wei-Xing Zong, Ph.D.
Professor and Co-Leader, John L. Colaizzi Chair in Pharmacy Rutgers UniversitySusan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research

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