Mirek Styblo

Dr. Mirek Styblo is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. His research focuses on the intersection of environmental toxicology and metabolic diseases, particularly investigating how exposure to environmental pollutants like arsenic interacts with nutritional factors to influence diabetes risk. He employs translational approaches combining laboratory studies with human population analyses to identify biomarkers and molecular mechanisms underlying arsenic-associated diseases.

Dr. Styblo holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1988) and a graduate degree in Biochemistry from Kharkov State University (1980). His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, including studies on arsenic metabolism, epigenetic impacts, and the role of dietary factors such as folate in modifying toxic effects. Key research areas include cancer, diabetes, and public health interventions.

His recent publications highlight transgenerational effects of arsenic exposure, metabolic phenotypes in genetically diverse mice, and the role of microbiome in arsenic biotransformation. Awards include the Delta Omega Society honor (2011), Gillings Innovation Laboratory award (2008), and recognition for impactful toxicology research.

Labs and collaborations include the Gillings Innovation Lab, focusing on environmental health solutions. His work bridges basic science and public health, addressing real-world exposures and health disparities in regions like Chihuahua, Mexico, where arsenic contamination impacts communities.