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Virginia
M
Weaver
,
MD

Associate Professor
- Adjunct

Contact Info

OSHA, Washington DC
DC
District of Columbia
US        

Research Interests

Biomarkers; cadmium; lead; medical surveillance; N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG); occupational and environmental chemical exposures; occupational and environmental nephrotoxicants

Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
MPH
Johns Hopkins University
1991
MD
New York University
1984
Overview

Dr. Weaver’s research interests involve the use of molecular epidemiology tools in the evaluation of chemically exposed populations. The validation of exposure and early biological effect markers for research and medical surveillance is a primary focus. Her main area of research is the impact of occupational and environmental toxicants on the kidney. Current work examines the impact of metals on kidney function, including clinical measures and early biological effect markers, such as urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Study populations include lead workers in South Korea and environmentally exposed adolescents in Mexico. Approaches to adjust urinary biomarkers for differences in urine concentration is an additional focus. She has recently published on the current outbreak of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology, reported in several locations globally. She has also studied biomarkers for benzene exposure in urban populations, including children.


Dr. Weaver’s clinical activities also involve biomarker applications, thus complimenting her research. These activities have included management of a medical surveillance program for cadmium exposed workers in which blood and urine cadmium and beta-2 microglobulin were monitored. In addition, she was a co-investigator in a medical surveillance program for former workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory which utilized the lymphocyte proliferation test to assess for presence of sensitization to beryllium.


Dr. Weaver focuses on fire fighter cancer and workers’ compensation issues in her public health practice activities. She has been a member of International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Medical Advisory Board since 1995. She directed the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins from 2006 until 2014. International occupational health, including a recent project in India, is an additional public health practice interest.

Honors & Awards

Magna cum laude, University of Rochester, 1980


Phi Beta Kappa, University of Rochester, 1980


Recipient, Occupational Physicians Scholarship Fund Award, 1990-92


Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society - Alpha Chapter, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene, 1991


Ho-Ching Yang Memorial Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention, 1995


AMTRA (Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award), Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Student Assembly, 2009,


Teaching Excellence for "Clinical Environmental and Occupational Toxicology", 2009-2014                

Select Publications

Selected recent publications

  • Weaver VM, Kotchmar DJ, Fadrowski JJ, Silbergeld E. Challenges for environmental epidemiology research: Are biomarker concentrations altered by kidney function or urine concentration adjustment? Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. 2015 Mar 4. doi: 10.1038/jes.2015.8

  • Weaver, VM and Fadrowski JF. Kidney Disease in Children and the Environment. In: Landrigan PJ and Etzel RA (eds.) Textbook of Children’s Environmental Health. Oxford University Press. New York, New York, 2014, pp 447-457.

    Weaver VM, García Vargas GG, Silbergeld EK, Rothenberg SJ, Fadrowski JJ, Rubio-Andrade M, Parsons PJ, Steuerwald AJ, Navas-Acien A, Guallar E. Impact of urine concentration adjustment method on associations between urine metals and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) in adolescents. Environmental Res. 2014;132:226-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2014.04.013

    Weaver VM, Kim N-S, Lee B-K, Parsons PJ, Spector J,  Fadrowski J, Jaar BG, Steuerwald AJ,  Todd AC, Simon D, and Schwartz BS. Differences in urine cadmium associations with kidney outcomes based on serum creatinine and cystatin C. Environ Res. 2011;111:1236–1242. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2011.07.012.

  • Weaver VM, Fadrowski J, and Jaar BG. Does calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CaEDTA) slow chronic kidney disease progression? (Invited editorial) Am J Kidney Dis. 2012;60(4):503-506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.07.006