PAULINE MENDOLA

Dr. Mendola is a reproductive epidemiologist in the Epidemiology and Biomarkers Branch of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Her research has focused on a variety of environmental factors related to fertility, reproductive function, pregnancy outcomes and children's health. She has particular interest and expertise in in utero exposures that influence later developmental outcomes.

She has evaluated potential reproductive health risks, including spontaneous abortion, menstrual cycle changes and time-to-pregnancy, associated with PCB-contaminated sport fish consumption in the New York State Angler Cohort Study. Her current work includes studies of birth defects and other reproductive health outcomes in relation to disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water.

As part of a multidisciplinary team, she has contributed to the development of better exposure assessment methods for DBPs, addressing a long-standing limitation of previous epidemiologic studies in the area. Dr. Mendola serves on the Interagency Coordinating Committee planning for the National Children's Study (NCS). Under the auspices of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children and the Children's Health Act of 2000, the NCS will be a large, longitudinal study of US children examining a variety of environmental factors to determine if they are harmful, harmless or helpful with respect to child development.

Email:  mendola.pauline@epa.gov