Aisha S. Dickerson

Aisha S. Dickerson, PhD, MSPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a joint appointment in Environmental Health and Engineering. She is affiliated with several research centers, including the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Data Analysis Center, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, and the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 2014
• MSPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009
• BS, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2005

Dr. Dickerson is an environmental neuroepidemiologist whose research investigates the impact of environmental and occupational exposures across the life course on neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Her primary focus is on autism spectrum disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and dementia, particularly in underserved and under-resourced communities. She examines joint exposures to metals, air pollution, and psychosocial stressors, emphasizing health disparities and environmental injustice. Her work often involves complex statistical modeling of exposure mixtures and gene-environment interactions.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory in environmental health disparities, neuroepidemiology, and longitudinal cohort studies. Her research leverages large datasets such as the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), and the ECHO program. Themes include the neurocognitive effects of metal mixtures, prenatal environmental exposures, occupational risks for ALS, and the social determinants of dementia. Her work bridges environmental science, public health, and social justice.

Her scientific honors include:

• 2023 and 2024 JHU Career Impact Award Nominee
• 2021 Butler-Williams Scholars Program, National Institute on Aging
• 2020 Bloomberg American Health Initiative Spark Award
• 2019 Victoria S. Levin Award, Society for Research in Child Development
• Multiple fellowship and travel awards from NIEHS, NIMHD, and HRSA

Dr. Dickerson has been the principal investigator on NIEHS-funded research examining parental occupational exposures and autism risk in offspring. She leads several ongoing studies utilizing national longitudinal datasets to investigate environmental justice and cognitive aging. Her collaborative network is extensive, involving researchers across institutions and international cohorts, particularly in Denmark. She is actively involved in mentoring through programs like LEARNERS and has contributed significantly to scientific discourse through peer review and invited perspectives.

She is a key member of the ECHO Data Analysis Center and contributes to leadership in environmental health initiatives at Johns Hopkins, including the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. Her lab and research team focus on data-intensive epidemiological methods to unravel the complex interplay between environment, genetics, and neurological health across the lifespan.