Lawrence S. Engel

Lawrence S. Engel, PhD, serves as Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health, with additional appointments at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility. He concurrently holds an associate scientist position in the Epidemiology Branch of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

His educational credentials include a PhD (1999) and MS (1996) in Epidemiology from the University of Washington-Seattle, and a BS in Genetics from UC Berkeley (1986).

Dr. Engel's research program investigates health impacts of environmental disasters (oil spills, hurricanes), pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and occupational hazards on cancer, neurological deficits, and chronic kidney disease. He leads UNC's Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology initiatives, utilizing biomarkers and multi-source clinical data to examine exposure-disease relationships through cohort and case-control designs. His work emphasizes vulnerable populations in disaster-affected regions and agricultural communities.

Analysis of his 2007-2019 publications reveals consistent focus on disaster-related exposures (Deepwater Horizon), neurotoxicants (styrene), and carcinogens (organochlorines, PCBs). Methodologically, his studies leverage nested cohort designs, long-term follow-up, and biomarker integration to assess cardiovascular, neurological, and oncological outcomes across diverse populations.

His scientific recognition includes:

• NIH Director’s Award for the Gulf Long-term Follow-up (GuLF) Study (2011)

Dr. Engel teaches Environmental Epidemiology (EPID 785), lectures on disaster/occupational epidemiology, and serves on the Department of Epidemiology admissions committee. He chairs the Scientific Advisory Board for Western New York's Environmental Health Study at the University at Buffalo, with research primarily funded through NIEHS collaborations including the GuLF Study.

He directs environmental epidemiology programs within the Department of Epidemiology and collaborates extensively with Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and UNC Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility teams on interdisciplinary environmental health projects.