Megan Romano, MPH, Pre-doctoral Fellow, RPPE Program, Epidemiology

My current goals within the Reproductive, Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology training program are to increase my proficiency in epidemiological methods and study design through formal study of epidemiology and collaborations with research mentors. I am particularly interested in studying the health effects of environmental exposures during gestation and early childhood. I am currently working with Dr. Michelle Williams and Dr. Daniel Enquobahrie to assess the impact of maternal body burden of cadmium on complications of pregnancy and fetal growth.  My other research interests include, gene-environment interactions, translational research related to genetic testing, and newborn screening.

Kristen Pietila, MS, Pre-doctoral Fellow, RPPE Program, Epidemiology

My primary research areas of interest include assisted reproductive technologies (ART), as well as severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Currently I am working with Dr. Melissa Schiff to investigate risk factors for antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum SMM. I am also working with Dr. Schiff and Dr. Jacqueline Starr to develop a predictive model for the success of different methods of ART. My main goals within the RPPE training program are to learn to appropriately apply epidemiologic methods specific to RPPE and to obtain the training necessary to have a lifelong research career within the field.

Amy Moore, MS, Pre-doctoral Fellow, RPPE Program, Epidemiology

My primary areas of interest are genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic
epidemiology and their interactions with each other and with modifiable
environmental factors. I am currently working with Dr. Enquobahrie to
study the interaction between maternal and fetal gene expression and
epigenetics and the risk of adult cardiometabolic disorders in the
offspring. During the Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology
training program I hope to gain expertise in the methodology needed to
study these "exposures" and learn skills that will enable me to advance in
the field.

Jonathan Huang, MPH, Pre-doctoral Fellow, RPPE Program, Epidemiology

My interest primarily lies in understanding the mechanisms for population health inequities. Specifically, I am interested in how adult cardiometabolic disease disparities may be facilitated by in-utero, maternal, and intergenerational adversity. The RPPE training program grants me the privilege of investigating potential epigenetic mechanisms for observable maternal and child health inequities while building my statistical and methodological skills in genetic epidemiology. My goal is to translate this opportunity into both a productive and collaborative research career and also effective policies to reduce US health inequities. Currently, I am investigating Vitamin D deficiency and low birth weight with Dr. Enquobahrie.

Christine Loftus, MS, MPH, Pre-doctoral Fellow, RPPE Program, Epidemiology

For my doctoral degree I am studying environmental epidemiology with an emphasis on exposures that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities of children in the United States and contribute to health disparities in our society.  Currently, I am being mentored by Drs. Catherine Karr and Harvey Checkoway in an analysis of the geographic and temporal variations in asthma events experienced by asthmatic children in a rural, agricultural region of Washington State.  As an RPPE fellow, I hope to gain experience in how to design and conduct epidemiologic studies with results that can be translated to effective public health practice.