Anne P. Starling

Dr. Anne P. Starling is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health. She specializes in environmental epidemiology, focusing on chemical exposures during critical life stages and their links to chronic diseases. Her research explores biological pathways, including epigenetic mechanisms, connecting early-life chemical exposures to child metabolic health.

• Education:
  • PhD in Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (2013)
  • MPhil in Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge (2005)
  • BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, Duke University (2003)

Her current research includes an NIEHS-funded study on pregnancy-related chemical exposures and maternal cardiometabolic health, and co-PI leadership for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's multi-site study on PFAS in drinking water. She also collaborates on a SARS-CoV-2 incidence and vaccination study in Chatham County, NC.

Research Focus: Dr. Starling’s work emphasizes environmental health disparities, particularly the impacts of chemical mixtures and life course exposures. She leads projects within the Center for Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes, integrating epidemiological methods with molecular biology to understand disease etiology.

Grants & Collaborations: Her funding includes major grants from NIEHS and federal agencies, supporting large-scale observational studies on environmental contaminants. She collaborates across disciplines, including toxicology and public health policy.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Gillings School’s research hubs, including the Center for Lifecourse Epidemiology and the North Carolina Institute for Public Health.