Lisa Smeester, PhD

Dr. Smeester is the Scientific Program Manager for both the Institute for Environmental Health Solutions and the UNC Superfund Research Program , as well as a member of the leadership team for the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns-Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (Elgan-ECHO ) study. Using systems biology and toxicogenomic approaches, her research interests comprise genomic imprinting and the placenta as a driver of growth and development, with a focus on prenatal and early life environmental exposures as they relate to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).

Honors and Awards

Employee Excellence Award

2017, Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Star Heel Award

2010, Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Altered DNA Methylation Patterns in Individuals with Arsenicosis, Best Poster Presentation

2010, Genetics and Environmental Mutagenesis Society of North Carolina, Durham,

Research Activities

- Epigenetics/imprinting

- Developmental exposures to toxic metals

- Children's environmental health 

Key Publications

Long-term Health Effects and Underlying Biological Mechanisms of Developmental Exposure to Arsenic. Smeester L, Fry RC.  (2018). Curr Environ Health Rep, 5(1), 134-144.

Toxic metals in amniotic fluid and altered gene expression in cell-free fetal RNA. Smeester L, Martin EM, Cable P, Bodnar W, Boggess K, Vora NL, Fry RC (2017). Prenat Diagn, 13(.), 1364-1366.

Chronic early childhood exposure to arsenic is associated with a TNF-mediated proteomic signaling response. Smeester L, Bommarito PA, Martin EM, Recio-Vega R, Gonzalez-Cortes T, Olivas-Calderon E, Lantz RC, Fry RC (2017). Environ Toxicol Pharmacol, 52(.), 183-187.

Imprinted genes and the environment: links to the toxic metals arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Smeester L, Yosim AE, Nye MD, Hoyo C, Murphy SK, Fry RC (2014). Genes, 5(2), 477-496.

Epigenetic changes in individuals with arsenicosis. Chemical research in toxicology. *Smeester L, Rager JE, Bailey KA, Guan X, Smith N, Garcia-Vargas G, Del Razo LM, Drobna Z, Kelkar H, Styblo M, Fry RC (2011). Chemical research in toxicology, 24(2), 165-167.

Education

PhD, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, 2019

MS, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, UNC Gillings Schools of Global Public Health, 2016

BS, Joint Concentration in Psychobiology, Simmons College, 1995