Faculty and Staff Update - Dec 2025 - Institute for Exposomic Research

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

Message from the Chair

Dear Faculty, Trainees, Staff, and Friends,

As we conclude a truly remarkable year in the Department of Environmental Medicine, I want to express my gratitude for your hard work and dedication. This year has been more challenging than many in the past, yet it has also been filled with significant achievements in research, clinical care, and community engagement.

I am very proud to serve as Chair of a program with so many talented and committed scientists, clinicians, trainees, and administrators. Thanks to your collective efforts, we remain world leaders in environmental clinical medicine and exposomics. Your contributions are invaluable as we strive to advance our mission and positively impact lives.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Warm regards,

Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH
Ethel H. Wise Chair, Department of Environmental Medicine
Co-Director, Institute for Exposomic Research

Exposome Perspectives

A blog by Robert Wright, MD, MPH

On the Origins of a Specious Argument about Autism: Twins
Heritability is easy to understand, but it elevates correlation to causation. At the same time, heritability looks solely under the lamppost for genes versus environment and doesn’t consider other possibilities—like gene-environment interaction. To find gene-environment interactions, you have to look for them. If they are not measured, they will not be found, but they absolutely exist. Subscribe Today

Stay Informed

Mount Sinai Received $4.5 Million NIH Award to Launch a Pioneering Women’s Environmental Health Research Training Program

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received a prestigious $4.5 million, five-year K12 award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a pioneering program that will train the next generation of leaders in women’s health research. The program, called the Mount Sinai Life-course Exposomics Analytic Program (LEAP) in Women’s Health, is led by Rosalind J. Wright, MD, MPH, Dean for Public Health and Chair of the Department of Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine. LEAP is part of the NIH’s Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health initiative. LEAP is currently the initiative’s only active and funded program in New York State and the first nationally to integrate exposomics in women’s health research training. Read the press release

Grant Awarded to Study the Effects of Exposures during Pregnancy on Risk of Postpartum Depression

A $2.1 million R01 grant has been awarded to Mount Sinai to study the effects of environmental exposures during pregnancy on the risk of postpartum depression. It will be led by Principal Investigator Lauren Petrick, PhD, Professor of Environmental Medicine and Head of Untargeted Metabolomics and Exposomics at the Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory. Dr. Petrick will examine whether factors in the built environment (e.g., air pollution, noise, light at night) and stress (e.g., cortisol, negative life events) are linked to increased maternal depression risk. Researchers will not only look at the combined effects of built environment and social risk factors, but also protective factors like greenness and coping mechanisms. This will allow us to unravel which factors are most important to reduce maternal depression risk.

Single Hair Strand Could Provide Biomarker for ALS, Mount Sinai Study Finds

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have shown for the first time that a single strand of hair can reveal unique elemental patterns that distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy individuals. The findings, published in eBioMedicine, suggest that a simple, non-invasive hair-based test could one day speed ALS diagnosis and improve patient care.

“This is the first-ever study to use hair strands to identify elemental dysregulation in ALS,” said Vishal Midya, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “We found that patients with ALS had measurable differences in copper biodynamics that were not present in controls. These findings provide proof-of-concept that hair could serve as a simple and scalable diagnostic tool.” Read the press release

Indoor Air Pollution Findings Offer Hope for Asthma Prevention

Sonali Bose, MD, MPH, ATSF, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is helping to improve the lives of vulnerable women and babies while pushing the boundaries of indoor air pollution research. Results of her pilot study, funded by the NIEHS-funded Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS) and published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that “extraordinarily high” spikes in indoor air pollution were associated with worse respiratory symptoms and poorer asthma control in pregnant women. Read more

Santiago ADRD/Exposome Symposium

From September 25–27, 2025, more than 100 scientists, clinicians, and trainees gathered in Santiago, Chile, for a meeting advancing global collaboration on how environmental exposures influence brain health and aging. This symposium was organized in partnership with the Mount Sinai Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Read more

Children’s Environmental Health Day

The New York State Children’s Environmental Health Network (NYSCHECK) and the Region 2 PEHSU at Mount Sinai hosted the annual Children’s Environmental Health Day celebration on October 9. Click here to watch a highlight reel on Instagram or visit the NYCSCHECK website to learn more.

9/11 Day of Remembrance

The Mount Sinai World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence held a remembrance ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of September 11, 2001 and recognize the dedicated work of the clinical teams who care for the 9/11 responders. Remarks were given by Michael Crane, MD, MPH; Sandra Lowe, MD; Reverend Amy Strano; and Mickie Brown, RN, HN-BC. Topics addressed included program data, mental health, wellness tips, and a meditation session. Mickie Brown received a plaque commemorating her service and dedication to the program in honor of her retirement.

Activities included a walk in Central Park hosted by the departmental wellness committee and an art workshop where staff decorated leaves for the gratitude tree outside the nurse management office on the third floor of the Annenberg building. It was a special day of reflection and community-building for all.

ACOEM Fall Summit
Several members of the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health team participated in the 2025 Virtual Fall Summit hosted by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Their contributions underscored Mount Sinai’s commitment to advancing knowledge in occupational and environmental medicine.

Annual NIEHS P30 Meeting
Several Environmental Medicine faculty members attended the P30 meeting hosted by the University of Kentucky. This annual gathering of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHSCC) took place from October 27-30, 2025. The meeting’s theme, “Celebrating Environmental Health Science: Over 60 Years of Science, 25 Years of Community Engagement, and 10 Years of Disaster Response Research,” highlighted significant advancements in the field. Faculty representing our own P30 center, HEALS (Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan), received the following awards:

Outstanding Early Stage Investigator Poster: Diddier Prada, MD, PhD: “Circulating small molecules as potential biomarkers for uranium & radon exposure”
Excellence in Environmental Health Science Poster: Mauro Martinez, PhD: “Reconstructing Early Life Fluoride Exposure Using a Novel High-Resolution Dentine Biomarker” – Read more

Neurodevelopment, Neurodegeneration, and Environmental Exposures Journal Club

Hosted by the Horton Lab and co-sponsored by the Institute for Exposomic Research, the Center for Health and Environmental Across the Lifespan (HEALS), Department of Neuroscience, and the Friedman Brain Institute, NDEx explores research at the intersection of environmental exposures, brain development, and aging. NDEx integrates exposomics with neuroscience and neuroimaging to reveal how chemical, social, and structural environments shape brain trajectories across the lifespan. Journal club meetings are in person every 3rd Thursday from 1-2pm. All are welcome—students, postdocs, research staff, clinicians, and faculty. To receive future NDEx announcements and calendar invites, please subscribe to our NDEx listserv. If you’d like to present, suggest a speaker, or join the planning group, please contact Megan Horton, PhD, MPH.

Civic Engagement
Department members interested in learning how to translate public health research are invited to join the Civic Engagement and Policy Working Group. This group explores how to share research findings and clinical expertise with local, state, and federal decision-makers; engage with environmental and public health legislation, including chemical regulations; support policies that address social and structural determinants of health; and promote academic scholarship through civic and community involvement. Contact Sarah Evans, PhD, MPH, for details about upcoming meetings.

Upcoming Events

This symposium will be held from June 17-19, 2026 in France and will bring together leading scientists and trainees interested in integrating environmental exposures into research on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). It aims to foster new collaborations between environmental health, exposomics, and AD/ADRD research communities across Europe, the United States, and beyond. Travel award applications for poster presenters are due Jan 30.

Recognitions

Congratulations to Pablo Knobel, PhD, MSc, an Environmental Medicine Postdoctoral Fellow, who was awarded 2nd Place in the Poster Competition at the September 2025 Santiago Exposome Symposium. The poster was titled “Urban Nature Profiles and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Study of Diverse Metrics.” Additionally, Dr. Knobel was in Barcelona the following month for an IHEN Exposome Ambassadors Fellowship. Then, in early November, he participated in an Open Studio event at the University of Louisville that explored how trees, parks, and green infrastructure impact human health, as well as the design, social, and policy dimensions of urban green spaces. A very busy few months!

Winston Kwa, MD, MPH, and Kimberley Jankowski, NP, were recipients of this year’s 2025 Cullman Family Award for Excellence in Provider Communication. They are both located at the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health-Suffern clinic. For years, this award has honored Mount Sinai Health System physicians and advanced practice providers who demonstrate exceptional communication in clinical practice. Out of 128,000+ providers surveyed nationwide, they are one of 123 Mount Sinai providers ranked in the top 5% in provider communication measured in Press Ganey 2024 patient experience surveys.

IRB and Research Ethics

Thie IRB team has put together frequently asked questions regarding IRB applications. As a reminder, if you require any assistance with your IRB application, please contact Ilene Wilets, PhD, and Holly Miller.

Wellness and Community

Top Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season
Our new holiday post shares simple, practical ways to keep your celebrations healthier for your family and the environment. From safer food storage and low-waste gift ideas to choosing healthier decorations and improving indoor air quality, these tips help you enjoy the season while reducing harmful environmental exposures. Read more

Holiday Potluck
The annual holiday potluck, organized by the Wellness and AIDE committees, brought together a delightful array of flavors, celebrating the spirit of community and togetherness. Staff members came together to share their culinary creations, ranging from savory dishes like pupusas, roasted chicken, and pepper steak to sweet treats like chocolate chip pumpkin squares and festive cookies.

Junior Faculty Meetings
The hybrid Junior Faculty meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month with a healthy lunch for those on site. All the new forms are located on the DEM J-drive in the Common Folder. Contact Sofia Pendley, PhD, MPH, for information or suggestions for monthly topics.

AIDE Committee
The AIDE Committee aims to reflect the Department of Environmental Medicine’s commitment to Amplifying, Inspiring, Developing, and Empowering our colleagues, trainees, patients, research study participants, and the communities we serve. All DEM faculty and staff are invited to join AIDE meetings and initiatives. For more information, contact Malika Garg, MD, MS.

Wellness Walks
DEM wellness walks are on the first Wednesday of each month at 12 pm, departing from East 102nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Participation is voluntary, simple, and free. Come out, enjoy the outdoors, catch up with colleagues, and meet new ones. A healthy lunch will be provided afterward for those who RSVP. Please reach out to Erika Molina with questions or to join the Wellness Committee.

Resources

CAM Digital Screens
We invite everyone to submit content for our CAM digital screens located near the elevator bank. If you have a message, announcement, or creative design you’d like to share, please reach out to Carla Azar. PowerPoint Templates are available in the Mount Sinai Brand Center.

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Pure Scholars Portal at Mount Sinai
The Scholars Portal is a tool that provides insights into the scholarly expertise and collaborative opportunities within the Mount Sinai research community and beyond. The aim is to organize scholarly products and publications by researchers. The publications lists on faculty profiles are pulled from this portal. Click here to review your profile.