Division of Environmental Medicine
Welcome to University of Louisville's Division of Environmental Medicine, a division within the UofL Department of Medicine.
Mission
The Division of Environmental Medicine was created in 2018 within the Department of Medicine with the mission to understand the relationships between the environment and human health towards preventing and mitigating chronic disease through environmental adaptations and interventions. The division supports a multidisciplinary research program focused on studying how environmental conditions and characteristics relate to the development, mitigation, or prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (e.g. heart disease, diabetes). Faculty within the division conduct place-based clinical and basic research, educate the next generation of environmental health and medicine scientists, and engage with Louisville communities.
Environmental Medicine
Environmental medicine is a multidisciplinary field involving environmental science, medicine, chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, sociology, and other disciplines. It is a specialized form of environmental health, a branch of public health, which advances health and well-being by identifying and limiting exposure to hazardous agents in the environment. Environmental medicine scientists study how these environmental exposures are related to the causes and effects of disease and test interventions that can prevent and mitigate disease formation and progression.
Research Foci
Natural Environment
- Effects of green environments on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
- Relationships between components of nature, such as pollen and biodiversity, on human health
- How fundamental systems of the ecosphere (air, water, and soil) contribute to human health, wellbeing, or disease
Social Environment
- Effects of ambient and roadway air pollution (PM2.5) on cardiovascular and metabolic disease progression
- Effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the cardiovascular and metabolic disease progression
- Developing methods to spatially visualize pollution and disease risk and burdens among communities
Personal Environment
- Effects of tobacco and vaping on cardiovascular and metabolic disease progression
- Relationships between lifestyle patterns (sleep, diet, exercise) and cardiovascular and metabolic disease progression
- Developing novel approaches to measure environmental factors that impact human health, wellbeing, or disease
The Envirome
The Human Envirome is the complete set of natural, social, and personal conditions that shape each person's health. Unique to every person, over the course of their lifetime, their envirome regulates and influences development, disease risk, physical and mental health, and lifespan.
The Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute is an affiliated research institute within the Division of Environmental Medicine. Researchers within the Envirome Institute study how conditions of the human envirome promote health or instigate disease. Learn more about the Envirome Institute.
Publications
| Article Title | Citation | Date |
| Considerations for using isolated cell systems to understand cardiac metabolism and biology | McNally, Lindsey A., et al. "Considerations for using isolated cell systems to understand cardiac metabolism and biology." Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2021). | 4/1/2021 |
| Electronic Cigarette Solvents, Pulmonary Irritation and Endothelial Dysfunction:Role of Acetaldehyde and Formaldehyde | Jin, Lexiao, et al. "Electronic Cigarette Solvents, Pulmonary Irritation and Endothelial Dysfunction: Role of Acetaldehyde and Formaldehyde." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2021). | 2/5/2021 |
| Urinary Levels of the Acrolein Conjugates of Carnosine Are Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk | O’Toole, Timothy E., et al. "Urinary Levels of the Acrolein Conjugates of Carnosine Are Associated with Cardiovascular Disease Risk." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22.3 (2021): 1383. | 1/30/2021 |
| Myocardial Blood Flow Control by Oxygen Sensing Vascular Kvβ Proteins | Ohanyan, Vahagn, et al. "Myocardial Blood Flow Control by Oxygen Sensing Vascular Kvβ Proteins." Circulation Research (2021). | 1/27/2021 |
| Wastewater Surveillance Can Have a Second Act in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution | Smith, Ted, Gail Cassell, and Aruni Bhatnagar. "Wastewater Surveillance Can Have a Second Act in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution." JAMA Health Forum. Vol. 2. No. 1. American Medical Association, 2021. | 1/11/2021 |
| Residential Proximity to Greenness Mitigates the Hemodynamic Effects of Ambient Air Pollution | Riggs, Daniel W., et al. "Residential Proximity to Greenness Mitigates the Hemodynamic Effects of Ambient Air Pollution." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. | 1/8/2021 |
| Transient Cell Cycle Induction in Cardiomyocytes to Treat Ischemic Heart Failure | Abouleisa, Riham, et al. "Transient Cell Cycle Induction in Cardiomyocytes to Treat Ischemic Heart Failure." (2020). | 12/28/2020 |
| Environmental Health in the Time of COVID-19 | Silva, Raquel, and Natasha DeJarnett. "Environmental Health in the Time of COVID-19." APHA's 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo (Oct. 24-28). American Public Health Association, 2020. | 12/24/2020 |
| Emerging technology and platforms for cardiotoxicity testing | Mohamed, Tamer MA, and Daniel J. Conklin. "Emerging technology and platforms for cardiotoxicity testing." (2020): 115262. | 12/1/2020 |
| Cardiomyocyte Oga haploinsufficiency increases O-GlcNAcylation but hastens ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction | Dassanayaka, Sujith, et al. "Cardiomyocyte Oga haploinsufficiency increases O-GlcNAcylation but hastens ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction." Plos one 15.11 (2020): e0242250. | 11/30/2020 |
| E-cigarette Aerosol Exposure Acutely Alters Cardiac Conduction and Autonomic Balance and Induces Arrhythmia in Mice | Carll, Alex P., et al. "E-cigarette Aerosol Exposure Acutely Alters Cardiac Conduction and Autonomic Balance and Induces Arrhythmia in Mice." Circulation 142.Suppl_3 (2020): A17343-A17343. | 11/12/2020 |
| Effects of Electronic Cigarette Solvents on Endothelial Dysfunction | Jin, Lexiao, et al. "Effects of Electronic Cigarette Solvents on Endothelial Dysfunction." Circulation 142.Suppl_3 (2020): A17100-A17100. | 11/12/2020 |
| Influence of Cardiac Workload on Vascular Pyridine Nucleotide Redox State | Dwenger, Marc, Joseph Moore, and Matthew A. Nystoriak. "Influence of Cardiac Workload on Vascular Pyridine Nucleotide Redox State." Circulation 142.Suppl_3 (2020): A17038-A17038. | 11/12/2020 |
| Transient Cell Cycle Induction in Cardiomyocytes is a Promising Approach to Treat Ischemia Induced Heart Failure | Abouleisa, Riham, et al. "Transient Cell Cycle Induction in Cardiomyocytes is a Promising Approach to Treat Ischemia Induced Heart Failure." Circulation 142.Suppl_3 (2020): A14391-A14391. | 11/12/2020 |
| Urinary levels of the acrolein conjugates of carnosine are associated with inhaled toxicants | O’Toole, Timothy E., et al. "Urinary levels of the acrolein conjugates of carnosine are associated with inhaled toxicants." Inhalation Toxicology 32.13-14 (2020): 468-476. | 11/12/2020 |
| Guidance to Reduce the Cardiovascular Burden of Ambient Air Pollutants: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association | Kaufman, Joel D., et al. "Guidance to reduce the cardiovascular burden of ambient air pollutants: a policy statement from the American Heart Association." Circulation 142.23 (2020): e432-e447. | 11/5/2020 |
| Heart slice culture system reliably demonstrates clinical drug-related cardiotoxicity | Miller, Jessica M., et al. "Heart slice culture system reliably demonstrates clinical drug-related cardiotoxicity." Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 406 (2020): 115213. | 11/1/2020 |
| Unraveling the Molecular Signature of Pregnancy Induced Hypertrophy | Collins, Helen E., et al. "Unraveling the Molecular Signature of Pregnancy Induced Hypertrophy." Circulation Research. Vol. 127. No. Suppl_1. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. | 10/27/2020 |
| Phosphofructokinase Coordinates Anabolic Pathways in the Heart | Fulghum, Kyle L., et al. "Phosphofructokinase Coordinates Anabolic Pathways in the Heart." Circulation Research. Vol. 127. No. Suppl_1. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. | 10/27/2020 |
| Metabolic Reprogramming is Essential for Cell Cycle Progression in Cardiomyocytes | Abouleisa, Riham, et al. "Metabolic Reprogramming is Essential for Cell Cycle Progression in Cardiomyocytes." Circulation Research. Vol. 127. No. Suppl_1. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. | 10/27/2020 |
| Substrate Dependence of Mitochondrial Supercomplex Abundance in Murine Heart | Altamimi, Tariq R., et al. "Substrate Dependence of Mitochondrial Supercomplex Abundance in Murine Heart." Circulation Research. Vol. 127. No. Suppl_1. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2020. | 10/27/2020 |
| 70 Years after Nuclear Bomb Testing: How Radioactive Waste Still Plagues a San Francisco Community and Threatens Public Health | DeJarnett, Natasha, and Katlyn McGraw. "70 Years after Nuclear Bomb Testing: How Radioactive Waste Still Plagues a San Francisco Community and Threatens Public Health." APHA's 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo (Oct. 24-28). American Public Health Association, 2020. | 10/24/2020 |
| 168-OR: The Inverse Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Inflammation Is Modified by Plasma Levels of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids | Farley, Gabrielle, et al. "168-OR: The Inverse Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Inflammation Is Modified by Plasma Levels of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids." (2020). | 10/19/2020 |
| Smoking Accelerates Atrioventricular Conduction in Humans Concordant with Increased Dopamine Release | Irfan, Affan B., et al. "Smoking Accelerates Atrioventricular Conduction in Humans Concordant with Increased Dopamine Release." Cardiovascular toxicology (2020): 1-10. | 10/12/2020 |
| Intracellular pH Regulation of Skeletal Muscle in the Milieu of Insulin Signaling | Posa, Dheeraj Kumar, and Shahid P. Baba. "Intracellular pH Regulation of Skeletal Muscle in the Milieu of Insulin Signaling." Nutrients 12.10 (2020): 2910. | 9/23/2020 |
| Working Toward Elimination of Hepatitis C: The Kentucky Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program | Cave, Barbra, et al. "working Toward elimination of Hepatitis C: The Kentucky Hepatitis academic Mentorship Program." Clinical Liver Disease 16.3 (2020): 123. | 9/22/2020 |
| Administration of cardiac mesenchymal cells modulates innate immunity in the acute phase of myocardial infarction in mice | Kang, Yi, et al. "Administration of cardiac mesenchymal cells modulates innate immunity in the acute phase of myocardial infarction in mice." Scientific Reports 10.1 (2020): 1-13. | 9/8/2020 |
| Acute and chronic vascular effects of inhaled crotonaldehyde in mice: Role of TRPA1 | Lynch, Jordan, et al. "Acute and chronic vascular effects of inhaled crotonaldehyde in mice: Role of TRPA1." Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 402 (2020): 115120. | 9/1/2020 |
| Statistical design of Phase II/III clinical trials for testing therapeutic interventions in COVID-19 patients | Rai, Shesh N., et al. "Statistical design of Phase II/III clinical trials for testing therapeutic interventions in COVID-19 patients." BMC medical research methodology 20.1 (2020): 1-16. | 8/31/2020 |
| Tobacco Smoke and Endothelial Dysfunction: Role of Aldehydes? | Lynch, Jordan, et al. "Tobacco Smoke and Endothelial Dysfunction: Role of Aldehydes?." Current Hypertension Reports 22.9 (2020): 1-9. | 8/28/2020 |
| Wastewater sample site selection to estimate geographically-resolved community prevalence of COVID-19: A research protocol | Yeager, Ray A., et al. "Wastewater sample site selection to estimate geographically-resolved community prevalence of COVID-19: A research protocol." medRxiv (2020). | 8/25/2020 |
| Evidence and magnitude of seasonality in SARS-CoV-2 transmission: Penny wise, pandemic foolish? | Kaplin, Adam Ian, et al. "Evidence and magnitude of seasonality in SARS-CoV-2 transmission: Penny wise, pandemic foolish?." medRxiv (2020). | 8/18/2020 |
| Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise | Baba, Shahid, et al. "Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise." Nutrients 12.8 (2020): 2400. | 8/11/2020 |
| Endothelial Overexpression of Metallothionein Prevents Diabetes-Induced Impairment in Ischemia Angiogenesis Through Preservation of HIF-1α/SDF-1/VEGF Signaling in Endothelial Progenitor Cells | Wang, Kai, et al. "Endothelial Overexpression of Metallothionein Prevents Diabetes-Induced Impairment in Ischemia Angiogenesis Through Preservation of HIF-1α/SDF-1/VEGF Signaling in Endothelial Progenitor Cells." Diabetes 69.8 (2020): 1779-1792. | 8/1/2020 |
| Macrophage Long Non-Coding RNAs in Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease | Wysoczynski, Marcin, et al. "Macrophage Long Non-Coding RNAs in Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease." Non-coding RNA 6.3 (2020): 28. | 7/11/2020 |
| A realistic appraisal of the use of embryonic stem cell-based therapies for cardiac repair | Wysoczynski, Marcin, and Roberto Bolli. "A realistic appraisal of the use of embryonic stem cell-based therapies for cardiac repair." European heart journal 41.25 (2020): 2397-2404. | 7/1/2020 |
| Environmental Health Leadership on Climate Solutions Amidst COVID-19 | Perkowitz, Robert M., et al. "Environmental Health Leadership on Climate Solutions Amidst COVID-19." Journal of Environmental Health 83.1 (2020): 38-40. | 7/1/2020 |
| Association Between Volatile Organic Compounds and Endothelial Injury and Repair | Malovichko, Marina, et al. "Association Between Volatile Organic Compounds and Endothelial Injury and Repair." Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 40.Suppl_1 (2020): A322-A322. | 6/29/2020 |
| Cardiac mesenchymal cells from failing and nonfailing hearts limit ventricular dilation when administered late after infarction | Audam, Timothy N., et al. "Cardiac mesenchymal cells from failing and nonfailing hearts limit ventricular dilation when administered late after infarction." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 319.1 (2020): H109-H122. | 6/24/2020 |
| Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise | Baba, Shahid, et al. "Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise." Nutrients 12.8 (2020): 2400. | 6/12/2020 |
| Cardiospecific Overexpression of ATPGD1 (Carnosine Synthase) Increases Histidine Dipeptide Levels and Prevents Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury | Zhao, Jingjing, et al. "Cardiospecific overexpression of ATPGD1 (carnosine synthase) increases histidine dipeptide levels and prevents myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury." Journal of the American Heart Association 9.12 (2020): e015222. | 6/9/2020 |
| The A-to-I RNA Editing Enzyme Adar1 Is Essential for Normal Embryonic Cardiac Growth and Development | Moore IV, Joseph B., et al. "The A-to-I RNA Editing Enzyme Adar1 Is Essential for Normal Embryonic Cardiac Growth and Development." Circulation research 127.4 (2020): 550-552. | 5/4/2020 |
| Functional characterization of long noncoding RNAs | Moore IV, Joseph B., and Shizuka Uchida. "Functional characterization of long noncoding RNAs." Current opinion in cardiology 35.3 (2020): 199-206. | 5/1/2020 |
| Regulation of cardiac O-GlcNAcylation: More than just nutrient availability | Collins, Helen E., and John C. Chatham. "Regulation of cardiac O-GlcNAcylation: more than just nutrient availability." Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Molecular Basis of Disease 1866.5 (2020): 165712. | 5/1/2020 |
| Exercise-stimulated resolvin biosynthesis in adipose tissue is abrogated by obesity-induced adrenergic dysfunction | Hellmann, Jason, et al. "Exercise-stimulated resolvin biosynthesis in adipose tissue is abrogated by obesity-induced adrenergic dysfunction." (2020): 69-28. | 5/1/2020 |
| Green environments and cardiovascular health | Yeager, Ray A., Theodore R. Smith, and Aruni Bhatnagar. "Green environments and cardiovascular health." Trends in cardiovascular medicine 30.4 (2020): 241-246. | 5/1/2020 |
| The Enzymatic Function of KVβ2 Contributes to Resistance Artery Vasodilation | Raph, Sean M., Aruni Bhatnagar, and Matthew A. Nystoriak. "The Enzymatic Function of KVβ2 Contributes to Resistance Artery Vasodilation." The FASEB Journal 34.S1 (2020): 1-1. | 4/19/2020 |
| Role of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin‐1 (TRPA1) in Endothelial‐Specific Effects of Diverse Aldehydes | Conklin, Daniel, and Lexiao Jin. "Role of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin‐1 (TRPA1) in Endothelial‐Specific Effects of Diverse Aldehydes." The FASEB Journal 34.S1 (2020): 1-1. | 4/18/2020 |
| Role for NADH‐sensitive Kv channels in the myocardial‐vascular signaling axis. | Nystoriak, Matthew A., et al. "Role for NADH‐sensitive Kv channels in the myocardial‐vascular signaling axis." The FASEB Journal 34.S1 (2020): 1-1. | 4/18/2020 |
| Comparison of the Effects of Mainstream Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine on Electrocardiogram | Irfan, Affan, et al. "Comparison of the Effects of Mainstream Cigarette Smoking and Nicotine on Electrocardiogram." Journal of the American College of Cardiology 75.11_Supplement_1 (2020): 1901-1901. | 3/16/2020 |
| Association between residential greenness and exposure to volatile organic compounds | Yeager, Ray, et al. "Association between residential greenness and exposure to volatile organic compounds." Science of The Total Environment 707 (2020): 135435. | 3/10/2020 |
| Environmental Determinants of Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus: Sounding Off About the Effects of Noise | Basner, Mathias, Daniel W. Riggs, and Daniel J. Conklin. "Environmental determinants of hypertension and diabetes mellitus: sounding off about the effects of noise." (2020): e016048. | 3/9/2020 |
| National secular trends in ambient air volatile organic compound levels and biomarkers of exposure in the United States | Konkle, Stacey L., et al. "National secular trends in ambient air volatile organic compound levels and biomarkers of exposure in the United States." Environmental research 182 (2020): 108991. | 3/1/2020 |
| Characterization of Volatile Organic Compound Metabolites in Cigarette Smokers, Electronic Nicotine Device Users, Dual Users, and Nonusers of Tobacco | Keith, Rachel J., et al. "Characterization of volatile organic compound metabolites in cigarette smokers, electronic nicotine device users, dual users, and nonusers of tobacco." Nicotine and Tobacco Research 22.2 (2020): 264-272. | 2/1/2020 |
| Inhalation of printer-emitted particles impairs cardiac conduction, hemodynamics, and autonomic regulation and induces arrhythmia and electrical remodeling in rats | Carll, Alex P., et al. "Inhalation of printer-emitted particles impairs cardiac conduction, hemodynamics, and autonomic regulation and induces arrhythmia and electrical remodeling in rats." Particle and fibre toxicology 17.1 (2020): 1-21. | 1/29/2020 |
| Exposure to airborne fine particulate matter is associated with impaired endothelial function and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation | Riggs, Daniel W., et al. "Exposure to airborne fine particulate matter is associated with impaired endothelial function and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation." Environmental research 180 (2020): 108890. | 1/1/2020 |
| The Effect of Cardiogenic Factors on Cardiac Mesenchymal Cell Anti-Fibrogenic Paracrine Signaling and Therapeutic Performance | Heidel, Justin S., et al. "The effect of cardiogenic factors on cardiac mesenchymal cell anti-fibrogenic paracrine signaling and therapeutic performance." Theranostics 10.4 (2020): 1514. | 1/1/2020 |
| Protocol to assess the efficacy of carnosine supplementation in mitigating the adverse cardiovascular responses to particulate matter (PM) exposure: the Nucleophilic Defense Against PM Toxicity (NEAT) trial | O'Toole, Timothy E., et al. "Protocol to assess the efficacy of carnosine supplementation in mitigating the adverse cardiovascular responses to particulate matter (PM) exposure: the Nucleophilic Defense Against PM Toxicity (NEAT) trial." BMJ open 10.12 (2020): e039118. | 1/1/2020 |
