Dr. Ellen Silbergeld

Trained at Johns Hopkins University in geography and environmental engineering (PhD, '72) and Environmental Health Sciences (postdoctoral fellow, '72–75), I have built a career bridging science and public policy, focusing on integrating toxicological and epidemiological research into environmental and occupational health policy. My roles have included NIH staff fellowship, senior scientist at Environmental Defense, and professorship at the University of Maryland Medical School, as well as advisory positions with organizations like NTP-NIH, CDC, EPA, WHO, and PAHO. My current research emphasizes cardiovascular risks from arsenic, lead, and cadmium; mercury immunotoxicity; and the health impacts of industrial food animal production, exploring gene-environment interactions and antibiotic-resistant pathogens. My work spans international studies, including mercury research in the Amazon, heavy metal exposure in Mexico, mining impacts in Mongolia, and zoonotic diseases in Thailand and the Netherlands. In 2016, I was appointed Special Consultant to the WHO Food Safety Programme.