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Jessie
P.
Buckley
,
PhD

Associate Professor

Jessie Buckley, PhD, MPH, studies early life environmental chemical exposures to inform policies targeted at improving children’s health.

Contact Info

615 N. Wolfe Street, Room W7515
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US        

Research Interests

Asthma; Biomarkers; Birth defects; Bone health; Children's environmental health; Developmental origins of health and disease; Endocrine disruptors; Environmental epidemiology; Environmental phenols; Epidemiologic methods; Exposure assessment; Exposure mixtures; Flame retardants; Food processing; Metals; Obesity; Occupational epidemiology; Perinatal and pediatric epidemiology; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Phthalates; Vitamin D
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2014
MPH
George Washington University
2007
AB
Bowdoin College
2002
Overview
As an environmental and pediatric/perinatal epidemiologist, my goal is to conduct innovative and high impact research to inform environmental policies targeted at improving children’s health. My research is grounded in the developmental origins of health and disease framework and focuses on determining effects of early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals on child physical growth and development. Using molecular epidemiology and advanced statistical approaches, I have conducted several studies evaluating the role of environmental chemical exposures in the development of childhood obesity. I have also assessed the utility of biomarkers of exposure to several classes of environmental chemicals that have widespread human exposure, including phthalates and environmental phenols.

As an NIEHS Outstanding Environmental Scientist (ONES) awardee, I am currently investigating whether chemicals hypothesized to be environmental obesogens also impact bone health, a significant but understudied component of child well-being. Additional projects include studies assessing exposure and health effects of alternative flame retardant chemicals among pregnant women and children in Baltimore and a project examining the impact of metals in well water on birth defects in North Carolina. I’m also collaborating on the development of approaches for examining effects of complex mixtures, such as Bayesian and causal inference methods, with the aim of evaluating potential public health interventions using observational data. Finally, as a Co-Investigator for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Data Analysis Center, I serve on the planning team of the Chemical Exposures Working Group and collaborate on several multi-cohort studies aimed to elucidate the impact of early life environmental chemical exposures on child health.
Honors & Awards
NIEHS Pediatric Loan Repayment Program Award (2020)
NIEHS Outstanding New Environmental Scientist (ONES) award (2019)
Advancing Green Chemistry Science Communication Fellowship (2017)
Barbara Sorenson Hulka Dissertation Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2015)
Delta Omega, the National Honorary Society in Public Health, Omega Chapter (2006) & Theta Chapter (2015)
Marilyn and Al Tyroler Endowed Scholarship in Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2014)
Society for Epidemiologic Research, Student Dissertation Workshop (2012)
Nancy A. Dreyer Endowed Scholarship in Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2011)
NICHD Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Predoctoral Training Grant (2012-2013)
6th Annual NICHD-IHDCYH Summer Institute in Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology (2010)
NIEHS Environmental Epidemiology Predoctoral Training Grant (2008-2011)
Select Publications
Key publications
  • Buckley JP, Barrett ES, Beamer PI, Bennett DH, Bloom MS, Fennell TR, Fry RC, Funk WE, Hamra GB, Hecht SS, Kannan K, Iyer R, Karagas MR, Lyall K, Parsons PJ, Pellizzari ED, Signes-Pastor AJ, Starling AP, Wang A, Watkins DJ, Zhang M, Woodruff TJ; program collaborators for ECHO. 2020. Opportunities for evaluating chemical exposures and child health in the United States: the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 30(3):397-419.
  • Keil AP, Buckley JP, O'Brien KM, Ferguson KK, Zhao S, White AJ. 2020. A Quantile- Based g-Computation Approach to Addressing the Effects of Exposure Mixtures. Environmental Health Perspectives. 128(4):47004.
  • Buckley JP, Kim H, Wong E, Rebholz CM. 2019. Ultra-processed food consumption and exposure to phthalates and bisphenols in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2014. Environment International. 131:105057.
  • Buckley JP, Quirós-Alcalá L, Teitelbaum SL, Calafat AM, Wolff MS, Engel SM. 2018. Associations of prenatal environmental phenol and phthalate biomarkers with respiratory and allergic diseases among children aged 6 and 7 years. Environment International. 115:79-88.
  • Buckley JP, Doherty BT, Keil AP, Engel SM. 2017. Statistical approaches for estimating sex-specific effects in endocrine disruptors research. Environmental Health Perspectives. 125(6):067013.