Andrea Aguiar

Andrea Aguiar is a Research Professor in the Department of Comparative Biosciences at the University of Illinois and holds a concurrent appointment as a Research Assistant Professor at the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies. Her research focuses on environmental influences on child health, particularly the effects of prenatal exposure to chemicals such as phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polyfluoroalkyl substances. She investigates how these exposures impact infant cognition, oxidative stress mechanisms, and maternal health during pregnancy.

Her work leverages the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort Consortium to study bioactive lipids, microbiome structures, and developmental outcomes. Key collaborations include interdisciplinary teams examining prenatal chemical exposures and their implications for child neurodevelopment.

Recent studies highlight associations between environmental contaminants and cognitive development milestones in infancy, as well as oxidative stress pathways linking phthalate exposure to developmental outcomes. These findings contribute to understanding environmental health risks and informing public health interventions.