The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has announced the appointment of Dr. Manasi Agrawal as the inaugural Director of Environmental Gastroenterology in the Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology.
Environmental Gastroenterology is a rapidly emerging field focused on how environmental exposures contribute to gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Leveraging the science of exposomics—which maps the totality of environmental exposures across the lifespan—new research is revealing how pollutants like PFAS, pesticides, microplastics, and metals may trigger or worsen intestinal inflammation. At Mount Sinai, this program is redefining our ability to predict, prevent, and ultimately intervene in GI disease before symptoms begin.
Dr. Agrawal’s Vision and Research
In her new role, Dr. Agrawal will expand Mount Sinai’s leadership in environmental gastroenterology through research innovation, trainee mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. A leading physician-scientist in the field, Dr. Agrawal directs multiple projects investigating how environmental toxins impact gut health—including as Principal Investigator of the groundbreaking PLANET Study (Exploring the Role of Plastics and Toxins in Intestinal Inflammation).
The PLANET Study focuses on the presence and health effects of microplastics—tiny plastic particles increasingly found in our bodies and environment. The study follows women with and without IBD who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, collecting biological samples from mothers and babies over time to investigate how early-life exposures to microplastics may influence gut microbiome development and inflammation. It is one of the first studies of its kind in the United States.
“We recognize that the environment is critical towards IBD risk and course, similar to other chronic health outcomes, but the impact of specific exposures remains a knowledge gap,” said Dr. Agrawal. “We now have methodological expertise to explore the environment in granular detail. This will help frame IBD prevention efforts, guidance for patients, and health policy towards mitigation of harmful exposures,” she added.
Robert Wright, MD, MPH, Co-Director of the Institute for Exposomic Research, applauded the appointment, noting, “Increases in IBD and GI cancers in young people can only be caused by environmental changes. Dr. Agrawal’s research illustrates the importance of exposomics in understanding chronic diseases, and we are excited to partner with her.”
About Dr. Agrawal
Manasi Agrawal, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a practicing gastroenterologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital, with specialized expertise in IBD. She is a member of the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research and is affiliated with the Center for Molecular Prediction of IBD at Aalborg University in Denmark. Read full bio.