My research interests and experiences encompass the combined effects of heavy metal exposures and under-nutrition on child health and well-being. My work relies on an interdisciplinary approach and combines a unique set of skills in environmental health, nutrition, and child development, to understand and address the effects of lead and under-nutrition on child cognition and behavior. The interaction between the deficiencies of iron and zinc, and the exposure to lead has been a major focus of my research. Environmental pollutants are a growing problem globally due to increased industrial activity, and the exposure to multiple heavy metals produces chronic and intergenerational effects. My goal is to continue these investigations, focusing on lead, but also incorporating the study of other heavy metals because exposure to single toxicants is a rarity.

PhD, 2003, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health