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Co-director:

 

David O. Carpenter, M.D. - Environmental Health Link
Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, UA
5 University Place, Room A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144.

Phone: 518-525-2660
Email: dcarpenter@albany.edu

David O. Carpenter is a public health physician whose research focuses on the study of various environmental causes of human disease, especially the chronic diseases of older age and exposures that result in reductions of cognitive function in both children and adults. He works closely with the World Health Organization on issues related to children’s environmental health and has a number of international research collaborations.

 Co-director:

 

Beth J. Feingold, PhD, MPH, MESc.
Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, UA
5 University Place, Room GEC145, Rensselaer, NY 12144.

Phone: 518-402-0391
Email: bfeingold@albany.edu


Dr. Feingold's research interests are in the use of geospatial methods to understand the link between landscapes and health, with particular interest in issues related to industrial food animal production, climate and health, population-health-environment interactions, land use change, environmental justice, and urban environmental health. She has major research studies ongoing in South America, especially in Peru.

 

 Associate Directors:

 

 

Ray Bromley, Ph.D.;

Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, College of Arts and Sciences, UA, Arts & Sciences 218, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

Dr. Bromley’s research, teaching and consultancy activities focus on neighborhood and community development, city and regional planning, street and market retailing, micro-enterprise promotion, and the history of ideas in planning, international development, and community development.

  Gary Kleppel, Ph.D.;
Department of Biological Science, College of Arts and Sciences, UA 
Biology 209, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

Dr. Kleppel studies the ecology of human dominated landscapes. In particular, he is concerned with sustainable agriculture, i.e., the use of land for food and fiber for production in ways that maintain or enhance their ecological functionality.

  Louise-Anne McNutt, Ph.D.;
Institute for Health and the Environment, UA
5 University Place, Room A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144

Dr. McNutt works on infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, nosocomial infections, STIs). She also works on developing Schools of Public Health internationally, intimate partner violence interventions, and strengthening epidemiologic methods.
  

Lawrence Schell, Ph.D.;
 Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, UA
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12222

Dr. Schell's research concerns the interrelationship between biology and culture and focuses on biological responses to contemporary urban environments. The urban environment may be the new frontier for human adaptation because more and more people are living in urban environments and these environments are becoming less and less like the environments of our forebearers, i.e., more challenging. He have been researching this topic by looking at the health of people exposed to different features of the urban environment. He began with a study of how noise, as a type of urban stress, affected human development, both prenatal and post-natal. Dr. Schell has since branched out to consider other pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead.

 

Members of Faculty Advisory Committee:

 

Mary O'Reilly, Ph.D.; Environmental Health Track, School of Public Health, UA 
Mary O'Reilly, Ph.D., CIH, CPE, Environmental Health Track, School of Public Health, UA
The balance between resource use (water, energy and materials) and preservation of human health, both occupational and environmental, is critically important for continued prosperity. I am interested in exploring that balance in areas such as energy (fossil including hydrofracking and renewable sources), industrial processes (infrastructure such as roads, sewage systems and buildings) and governance (regulatory as well as consensus such as ANSI and ISO). Some specific projects include describing the role of perception in risk assessment and communication, integrating worker health and safety into life-cycle and carbon footprint calculations, defining baseline water quality before high volume horizontal hydrofracking, exploring alternative remediation approaches and empowering underserved worker populations through building informed networks and community/consumer awareness.

 

David C. Spink, Ph.D.; Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, UA
Dr. Spink's current research efforts are focused on the role of estrogens and estrogen metabolism in the genesis of breast cancer. He is investigating the effects of exposure to environmental toxicants including polychlorinated dioxins, dibenzofurans and biphenyls on cytochrome P450-catalyzed steroid and xenobiotic metabolism and evaluation of the potential roles of this metabolism in endocrine disruption and carcinogenesis; in vitro metabolic studies employ normal breast epithelial cells and breast tumor cells in culture. Studies involve the development and application of analytical methods for metabolite identification and quantitation by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Institute Members:

 

Kamiar Alaei, M.D. Dr.PH; Executive Director of International Institute for the Health and the Environment. Dr. Alaei's areas of interest include HIV/AIDS prevention, Drug Policy, Global Health and environemnt. He focuses on the intersections between international health and international human rights law, while remaining sensitive to the needs and realities of vulnerable target groups.

 

Kathleen Arcaro, Ph.D.; Environmental Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts
Dr. Arcaro’s research program is focused on understanding how environmental exposures and lifestyle choices can affect the development of breast cancer. Additionally, for the last decade Dr. Arcaro has been studying breast milk as a means of understanding how environmental exposures and lifestyle choices can affect the development of breast cancer. She has published numerous scientific articles, and reviews of her research have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Business Week among others. Dr. Arcaro’s research on the epigenetics of cells in breast milk is funded by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, the Avon Foundation for Women, and the National Institutes of Health. http://www.breastmilkresearch.org/

 

Michael Bloom, Ph.D.; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UA
Dr. Bloom is an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist whose research focuses on the impacts of environmental risk factors, including metals, metalloids, and persistent and non-persistent organic compounds, on human reproduction, assisted reproduction, birth outcomes, and thyroid function.  He is also interested in the nature of biologic variability and the its impact on the use of biomarkers of exposure for epidemiologic research.

 

Katharine Briar-Lawson, Ph.D.; School of Social Welfare, Rockefeller College, UA
Dr. Briar-Lawson's research addresses two domains: 1) the impacts of unemployment and poverty; and 2) effective child welfare and family support systems, practices and policies.

 

Sheila Bushkin-Bedient, M.D., M.P.H.; New York Alliance Against Chronic Diseases; Medical Society of the State of New York
After many years in general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, in addition to emergency medicine, Dr. Buskin-Bedient became involved in public health and preventive medicine. As a member of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) since 1998, she has served on many committees concerned with public health education and advocacy issues. Her specific areas of interest involve chronic diseases, aging, environmental health, and continuing medical education (CME).

 

Chang-Hwei Chen, Ph.D.; Institute for Health and the Environment, UA 
Dr. Chen is a biophysical chemist and a former professor of Biomedical Sciences at the School of Public Health, University at Albany. Other appointments included research scientist at Wadsworth Center, Visiting professor of chemistry at National Taiwan University and adjunct professor of physics, University at Albany. He is also the author of the book, “Activation and Detoxification Enzymes: Functions and Implications”.

 

Anthony P. DeCaprio, Ph.D.; Florida International University, Miami, FL
Dr. DeCaprio is an analytical toxicologist who is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and faculty member in the International Forensic Research Institute (IFRI) at Florida International University.  He also directs the IFRI Forensic and Analytical Toxicology Facility and the Forensic Science Certificate Program at FIU.  Dr. DeCaprio’s areas of research include theory and application of biomonitoring and biomarkers in toxicology and methods for MS-based ultra-trace analysis of drugs, environmental pollutants, and their metabolites.
  Judith Enck. 
Judith Enck served as Region 2 adminstrator for the Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 - 2017. Prior to that she served as Deputy Secretary for the Environment for the Governor of NY, and an Environmental Advisor to the State Attorney General. A graduate of St. Rose, she has served as Executive Director of Environmental Advocates and a staff person for the NY Public Interest Research Group.

 

Richard F. Haase, Ph.D.; Emeritus, Counseling Psychology, UA
Dr. Haase is Professor Emeritus and Research Professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York.  His research, writing, and teaching interests focus on quantitative research methodology, statistics, and data analysis.  In the substantive area of Psychology his expertise is in area of vocational psychology and career development.         

 

Haider A. Khwaja, Ph.D.;                         Wadsworth Center; School of Public Health, UA
Dr. Khwaja's research and teaching interests lie in the field of Environmental Health. Active research programs include:

  • Effects of particulate matter on daily morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in large cities,
  • Chemical characteristics of fine particles responsible for the observed health effects,
  • Exposure and health impacts related to indoor and outdoor air pollution including studies of indoor allergens, diesel vehicle emissions, volatile organic compounds, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and other air toxins, and
  • Water and Human Health issues, such as drinking-water quality and human health risks associated with water contaminants.

 

Kurunthachalam Kannan, Ph.D.;                 Wadsworth Center; School of Public Health, UA
Dr. Kannan's research interests are in biomonitoring of human exposure to environmental chemicals and the assessment of exposure pathways of environmental organic pollutants to humans.  His research is also focused on the global distribution, dynamics and fate of organic pollutants in the environment and food chain transfer of pollutants.
He is affiliated with universities in Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and have collaborations with researchers from several countries including India, Korea, Kuwait, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, etc.
  Shao Lin, MD., Ph.D.;
Dr. Lin has over 25 years of experience on various environmental health research, such as air pollution, traffic exposure, residential proximity to airport, hazardous waste sites, and industrial facilities, heavy metals exposure through fish consumption on children’s health, such as adverse birth outcomes and childhood asthma. In the recent 10 years, Dr. Lin has focused on the research of climate change and extreme weather on human health outcomes, disaster epidemiology (WTC 9/11 disaster, Hurricane Sandy, Power outage), and school environmental factors on children’s health, attendance and performance.

 

Lawrence Lessner, Ph.D.;                            Institute for Health and the Environment
Dr. Lessner's specialties are in biostatistics and epidemiology.

 

Robert Miller, Jr., Ph.D.;                                   School of Social Welfare, Rockefeller College; Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, UA
Dr. Miller explores the intersection of spirituality, social welfare and public health. He has examined the meaning and utility of spirituality in the lives of African American gay men living with AIDS. He is currently exploring the decision making process of African American Clergy in HIV prevention efforts within their congregations; coping strategies for African American women over 50 living with AIDS; and health promotion and disease prevention collaboration efforts between faith-based institutions and health related community-based organizations. Dr. Miller is an active participant in the US - Africa Partnership for Building Stronger Communities.

 

Gayle Morse, Ph.D.;                                      Psychology, The Sage Colleges, School of Health Sciences
For over a decade Dr. Morse has conducted research examining the effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other toxic chemicals on Mental Health.
  Pamela Miller MSPH.;
Pamela Miller serves as Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, an environmental health research and advocacy organization. With a master’s degree in environmental science and a bachelor’s degree in biology, she has thirty years of experience in research, policy, advocacy, and training programs focused on environmental health, justice, and marine ecology. Since 2005 Miller has served as Principal Investigator for community-based research projects supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) with Indigenous communities. Miller is known for her work toward achieving state, national, and international chemicals policy reform to protect environmental and human health in the Arctic. She was selected as a Fellow for the Reach the Decision Makers program from the University of California San Francisco, Reproductive Health and Environment Program (2011) and as a Mentor (2013-2016). In 2012, she received the Meritorious Community Service Award from the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska. Alaska Conservation Foundation awarded Miller the Olaus Murie Award in recognition of her “long-term outstanding professional contributions to the conservation movement in Alaska.” In 2016, she was elected to serve as the co-chair of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of more than 500 environmental health and justice organizations working for a toxics-free future. She also serves on the board of directors for the Groundswell Fund (2013-present).
 

Ramune Reliene, Ph.D.;                               Assistant Professor, Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, SUNY.
Research in Dr. Reliene's lab focuses on cancer chemoprevention with dietary antioxidants and understanding of genotoxicity and cancer risks of engineered nanoparticles used in nanotechnology-enabled consumer products.
 

Thomas M. Semkow, Ph.D.;                             Research Scientist, Wadsworth Center; Associate Professor, School of Public Health, UA
The research of Dr. Semkow and his group focuses on environmental radioactivity, health risks of ionizing radiation, radiological emergency response, radiochemical testing, and ionizing radiation measurements. He is also interested in modeling of environmental and physical processes, statistics, as well as computer communications in the laboratory.
 

Susan D. Shaw, Dr.PH;                            Director/Founder of the Marine Environmental Research Institute; Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, UA
Dr. Shaw is a globally recognized expert on the health effects of environmental chemical exposure in wildlife and humans, and has published extensively in the areas of environmental and occupational exposure, environmental toxicology and health hazards related to a wide range of pollutants, including flame retardants and their combustion by-products. She has more than 30 years’ experience designing and carrying out studies to assess the impacts of environmental chemical exposure on individuals and populations, including fire fighters.

 

Thomas Stewart, Ph.D.;                              Research Professor Emeritus, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, UA
Dr. Stewart is interested in analyzing expert or professional judgment under conditions of complexity and uncertainty. Why are some judges more accurate than others? How can judgments be improved? He uses Brunswik's lens model framework and the lens model equation to analyze various components of expert skill. He is particularly interested in practical applications of judgment and decision research to public policy issues and to improving professional judgment. Recently, Dr. Stewart has been studying how people learn decision thresholds when they do not get complete feedback.

 

Norman Strominger, Ph.D.;                            Professor, Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College. Adjunct appointment in University at Albany, School of Public Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Strominger is a coauthor of Noback’s Human Nervous System, Seventh Edition, 2012. His main interests include neuroanatomical organization of the central nervous system, mechanisms of nausea and vomiting, auditory system and control of movement.
 

Simona Surdu, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., M.S.;          Senior Research Associate, Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS), University at Albany.
Dr. Surdu earned an M.D. degree and later obtained a Sc.D. degree in Occupational Medicine in her home country Romania. She also has M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Epidemiology from the School of Public Health of the University at Albany. Her main research areas include chronic conditions such as cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases, and hypertension related to environmental and occupational pollutants. She has a particular interest in the international research collaborations on children’s environmental health, and more recently, in the assessment of health workforce supply and distribution in the U.S. to improve the access to care and reduce health disparities.

 

Igor Zurbenko Ph.D.;                              Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, UA Link
Dr. Zurbenko received both a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and a Doctor of Probability and Statistics from Moscow State University, Russia. Most of his graduate education and research in Russia was completed with the renowned mathematician and statistician, Andrey Kolmogorov. Afterwards, he spent a year on a multi-purpose oceanographic expedition in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, where he was responsible for data analysis and other areas of scientific investigation. Dr. Zurbenko worked as a post-doctoral fellow with Professor J. Neyman from the University of California at Berkeley, a world-recognized statistician. He presently works at the School of Public Health (SPH), at the University at Albany. Dr. Zurbenko has authored or co-authored over 200 papers and 10 books on theoretical and applied statistics, covering multiple applications including and related to public health. For more detailes see Kolmogorov-Zurbenko Filters, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolmogorov%E2%80%93Zurbenko_filter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please send questions or comments to: dcarpenter@albany.edu

 

 

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