Center for Climate, Environment and Health

Trainees

Our research center and its predecessors, the Center for Children's Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Health Technology, have provided training and mentorship to postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. students and a large number of master's level and undergraduate students.

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Trainees

Our research center and its predecessors, the Center for Children's Environmental Health and Center for Environmental Health Technology, have provided training and mentorship to postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. students and a large number of master's level and undergraduate students.

Current trainees

Past Trainees

Alan Fossa
2023-2025
Appointment: Epidemiologist, Arbor Research

Clara Sears
2017-2020
Appointment: Assistant Professor, University of Louisville

Kate Weinberger
Worked with: Dr. Wellenius, 2015-2019
Now: Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia

Shengzhi (“Darren”) Sun
Worked with: Dr. Wellenius, 2017-2019
Now: Research Associate, Wellenius Group, Brown University School of Public Health

Medina Jackson-Browne
Worked with: Dr. Braun
Now: Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Delaware

Samantha Kingsley
Worked with: Dr. Braun
Now: Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare

Nan Li
Worked with: Dr. Braun
Now: Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health

Shaina Stacy
Worked with: Dr. Braun, 2015-2016
Now: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pittsburgh

Wenchi Pan
Worked with: Dr. Wellenius, 2014-2015
Now: Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

Megan Romano
Worked with: Dr. Braun, 2013-2016
Now: Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine

Yi Wang
Worked with: Dr. Wellenius, 2011-2013
Now: Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Indiana University School of Public Health

Deborah Watkins
Worked with: Drs. Wellenius, Savitz, Kelsey, and Braun 2011-2013
Now: Research Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Scott Langevin
Worked with: Dr. Karl Kelsey, 2010-2013
Now: Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati

Brock Christensen
Worked with: Dr. Kelsey, 2008-2011
Now: Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine

Gretchen Gee
Worked with: Dr. Kelsey, 2005-2010
Now: Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry (Research), Brown University

Marisa Patti
Degree Awarded: 2022
Present Appointment: Postdoc, Drexel University

Geetika Kalloo
Department of Epidemiology
Degree awarded 2019
Thesis: “Early Life Exposure to Chemical Mixtures: Implications for Neonatal Outcomes and Cognitive Ability”
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Samantha Kingsley
Department of Epidemiology
Degree awarded 2017
Thesis: “Maternal Air Pollution Exposure, Placental Epigenetics, and Fetal Growth.”
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

Jessica Shoaff
Department of Epidemiology
Degree Awarded 2016
Thesis: "Early Life Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Implications for Child Birthweight, Growth, and Adiposity."
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Ashley Smith
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Degree Awarded: 2014
Thesis: “Integration of Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations in the Discovery of Molecular Drivers of Malignancy in Glioma”
Mentor: Dr. Kelsey

William Accomando
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Degree Awarded: 2013
Thesis: “Epigenetic Biomarkers for the Detection and Quantification of Human Leukocytes in Blood and Tissue”
Mentor: Dr. Kelsey

Graham Poage
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
Degree Awarded: 2011
Thesis: “DNA Copy Number, Methylation, and Clinical Factors in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas”
Mentor: Dr. Kelsey

Caihua Liang
Department of Epidemiology
Degree Awarded: 2011
Thesis: "Environmental and Genetic Factors in the Risk of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma"
Mentor: Dr. Kelsey

Haley Cash
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Degree Awarded: 2011
Thesis: “DNA Methylation of Repeat Regions in Human Cancer and Metabolic Disease”
Mentor: Dr. Kelsey

Priya Gajjar
Degree awarded 2021
Thesis: "BPS/BPA Exposure and Child Adiposity"
Present Appointment: Data Analyst, BU Medical Center

Serena Russell
Degree awarded 2021
Thesis: "BPA Exposure and Maternal Depressive Symptoms"
Present Appointment: Doctoral Student, Columbia University

Noelle Henderson
Degree awarded 2020
Thesis: "Is Breast Milk Consumption a Source of Non-Persistent Chemical Exposures in Infants?"
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Catrina Mueller-Leonhard
Degree awarded 2018
Thesis: "Early-Life Exposure to Elemental Carbon from Traffic and Child Anthropometry." 
Mentors: Wellenius, Braun

Keith Spangler
Degree awarded 2018
Thesis: "Suitability of Gridded Climate Datasets for Epidemiologic Assessments of Meteorological Exposures."
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

Taylor Etzel
Degree awarded 2017
Thesis: “Urinary Triclosan Concentrations during Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes.”
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Emmanuella Asiedu
Degree awarded 2022
Thesis: "Triclosan Exposure and Adolescent Memory"
Present Appointment: Doctoral Student, UMASS

Zhuoya Zhang
Degree awarded 2022
Thesis: "Early Adolescent Eating Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Risk"
Present Appointment: Doctoral Student, Dartmouth College

Elvira Fleury
Degree awarded 2024
Thesis: "PFAS, Metabolomics, and Cardiometabolic Health"

Taylor-Marie Vasil
Degree awarded 2024
Thesis: "PFAS and Child Eating Behaviors"

Anthony Pellegrino
Degree awarded 2019
Thesis: “Using High Resolution Data on United States Housing Characteristics to Assess Vulnerability to Climactic Hazards”
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

June Jiao
Degree awarded 2018
Thesis: “Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Adolescent Cardiometabolic Disease”
Mentor: Dr. Braun

 

Sophie Kauderer
Degree awarded 2017
Thesis: “Residential Air Pollution and Gestational Comorbidities in Rhode Island.”
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

Nithya Ramesh
Degree awarded 2017
Thesis: “Perfluroalkyl Substance Exposure and Child Dental Caries”
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Raul Smego
​Degree awarded 2015
Thesis: Prenatal PCB Exposure and Thyroid Function
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Adila Prasodjo
​Degree awarded 2013
Thesis: Serum Cotinine and Folate Concentrations in Pregnancy
Mentor: Dr. Braun

Samantha Kingsley
Degree awarded 2013
Thesis: “Proximity of US Schools to Major Roadways: a Nationwide Assessment.”
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

Caroline Blanck
ScB Environmental Sciences (Sustainability in Development track)
Degree awarded 2019
Thesis: "Heat-Related Mortality in a Warming World: Implications and Ways Forward."
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius and Dr. Kate Weinberger

Rebecca Noga
AB Public Health (Honors)
Degree awarded 2018
Thesis: "Determining the impact of the built environment on birth outcomes in the state of Rhode Island."
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius​

Leah Haykin
AB Health & Human Biology (Honors), Environmental Health track
Degree awarded 2016
Thesis: “Projected temperature-related deaths in ten large U.S. metropolitan areas under different climate change scenarios.”
Mentor: Dr. Wellenius

Marisa Millenson
ScB Statistics
Degree awarded 2016
Thesis: “Urinary organophosphate insecticide metabolite concentrations during pregnancy and children's interpersonal, communication, repetitive, and stereotypic behaviors at 8 years of age: The home study.”
Mentor: Dr. Braun