Laura N. Vandenberg, PhD, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at UMass Amherst’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) in Amherst, Mass., has been named one of the Cornell Douglas Foundation’s 2016 Jean and Leslie Douglas Pearl Award winners for her “outstanding leadership in conducting critical research to identify and address the many issues concerning endocrine disruptors.”
The award is accompanied by with a $50,000 check to Vandenberg. “This award will allow me to continue to conduct research on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) outside of the lab — to use the best laboratory science to better inform chemical safety decision making,” she says. “This award offers me the opportunity to continue to advocate for science-based public policies and fight to protect public health.”
I have been privileged to work at the intersection of several scientific fields including endocrinology, environmental health, and developmental biology.”
Vandenberg is an internationally known expert on the effects of EDCs on development and how environmental exposures in early life can contribute to adult diseases including breast cancer, infertility, and obesity. She uses molecular, genetic, tissue-based and endocrine tools to investigate such chemicals as bisphenol A and S (BPA and BPS) and others used as plasticizers, in flame retardants and cosmetics.
In addition to laboratory studies, Vandenberg’s research has focused on understanding “big picture” issues in the study and evaluation of EDCs. “How do we determine which [compounds] are safe?” she ponders. “How do we identify safe doses? Which are the best endpoints to evaluate effects that are relevant to human diseases? How should endocrinology be incorporated in the risk assessment process? I have been privileged to work at the intersection of several scientific fields including endocrinology, environmental health, and developmental biology.”
“This award offers me the opportunity to continue to advocate for science-based public policies and fight to protect public health.”
The Cornell Douglas Foundation is an environmental health and justice advocacy group based in Bethesda, Md. The Jean and Leslie Douglas Pearl Award is given to organizations and to individuals who are dedicated to improving the lives of others and to providing a sustainable earth for future generations.
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