We all are impacted by, and reap the benefits of, medical research discoveries. From over-the-counter drugs, to healthcare policies and educational interventions, many of these advancements are a result of incredible feats, decades of work, and sometimes serendipitous events. Join us as we sit down with Harvard researchers to discuss these captivating behind-the-scenes stories of research.
January 5, 2022
Chemicals in the Office
Anna Young, PhD, Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discusses her team’s research investigating hormone-disrupting chemicals found in offices and their effect on human health. Young is part of a team who received pilot funding in 2021 for projects focused on environmental toxins.
Read Transcript
Anna Young, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on healthier materials and products in buildings as a strategy to reduce our exposures to toxic chemicals. She recently earned her PhD in the department, where she conducted dissertation research about global exposures to chemicals in office buildings, the hormonal activities of building dust in cell assays due to chemicals, and the benefits of healthier materials interventions to reduce toxic chemical loads in buildings. She has sought to advance several exposure assessment methods, including the uses of cell assays on dust to assess “building health”, silicone wristbands to sample people’s chemical exposures in buildings, and portable instruments to non-destructively scan products for chemical indicators. Young holds an MS in environmental health from the Harvard Chan School and a BA in computer science and environmental studies from Yale University.