Alison P Sanders

Alison P Sanders is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Pittsburgh, with secondary faculty affiliation in Epidemiology. She serves as Associate Dean for Research and directs the Rust to Resilience (R2R) Environmental Chemical Research Center, focusing on transdisciplinary toxicology research. Her work bridges molecular epidemiology, environmental exposure science, and epigenetics to assess how metals, PFAS, phthalates, air pollution, and heat stress impact maternal and child cardiorenal health.

• 2006 | BS, Biomedical Engineering | University of Virginia
• 2009 | MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering + Global Health Certificate | University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 2013 | PhD, Environmental Sciences and Engineering + Epidemiology Minor | University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
• 2017 | Postdoctoral Fellowship (Pediatrics & Environmental Medicine) | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• 2023 | Certificate in Professional Coaching | Palumbo-Donahue School of Business, Duquesne University

Her research examines environmental nephrotoxicology, particularly how metal mixtures (arsenic, cadmium, lead) and other toxicants affect kidney development across life stages (prenatal, adolescence, pregnancy). She employs geospatial mapping, biomonitoring, and systems biology approaches, integrating mouse, zebrafish, and human organoid models. Current projects include studying epigenetic changes (microRNA, DNA methylation) linked to metal exposure and developing frameworks for assessing environmental metal mixtures.

Recent publications highlight her focus on PFAS, PM2.5, and metal mixtures in relation to kidney injury biomarkers, maternal health outcomes, and chronic disease prediction. Her work has informed regulatory policies on metals screening during pregnancy and well water monitoring.

She teaches courses such as PUBHLT 3100 (Grant Writing), EPIDEM 2223 (Environmental Epidemiology), and EOH 3110 (Science Communication). Contact: aps109@pitt.edu | 412-383-0213.