Thomas J. Luben , PhD

About

Dr. Tom Luben is a senior epidemiologist in U.S. EPA’s Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA) and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. In this role, he conducts and publishes policy-relevant epidemiologic studies. His primary expertise lies in exploring exposures to air pollution and water contaminants while focusing on male and female reproductive outcomes such as adverse pregnancy outcomes and decreased fertility. Recently, he has worked to gain an understanding of the association between exposure to environmental (including built environment) and climatic conditions (both individually and as cumulative impacts) and various adverse birth outcomes (such as birth defects and preterm birth) and fetal and infant mortality. His expertise allows him to play a key leadership role in the assessment of the health effects of air pollution and provide advice to U.S. EPA managers on issues related to environmental epidemiologic analyses. Tom holds an MSPH degree from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and a PhD in Environmental Health from Colorado State University.

Key Publications

Interaction between long-term and short-term residential exposure to PM2.5 and the association with hospitalizations among a cohort of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in North Carolina, 2002-2015. Cowan KN, Wyatt LH, Luben TJ, Sacks JD, Ward-Caviness C, Rappazzo KM. (2023). Environmental Health, 22(49).
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Short-term exposure to air pollution and infant mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Luben TJ, Wilkie AA, Krajewski AK, Njie F, Park K, Zelasky S, Rappazzo KM. (2023). Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN), 898(10), 165522.
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Comparison of trihalomethane exposure assessment metrics in epidemiologic analyses of reproductive and developmental outcomes. Luben TJ, Shaffer RM, Kenyon E, Nembhard WN, Weber KA, Nuckols J, Wright JM. (2023). Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
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Connecting People to Food: A Network Approach to Alleviating Food Deserts. Sisk A, Rappazzo KM, Luben TJ, Fefferman N. (2023). Journal of Transport and Health, 31.
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Sulfur dioxide reduction at coal-fired power plants in North Carolina and associations with preterm birth among surrounding residents. Wilkie AA, Richardson DB, Luben TJ, Serre ML, Woods CG, Daniels J. (2023). Environmental Epidemiology, 7(2), e241.

Assessing the associations between residential proximity to greenspace and birth defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Weber KA, Yang W, Carmichael SL, Collins II RT, Luben TJ, Desrosiers TA, Insaf TZ, Le MT, Pruitt Evans S, Romitti PA, Yazdy MM, Nembard WN, Shaw GM.  (2022). Environmental Research, 216(3).
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Is residential proximity to polluted sites during pregnancy associated with preterm birth or low birth weight? Results from an integrated exposure database in North Carolina (2003-2015). Keeler C, Luben TJ, Forestieri N, Olshan A, Desrosiers T. (2022). Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
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A cross-sectional study of brownfields and birth defects. Slawsky ED, Weaver AM, Luben TJ, Rappazzo KM. (2022). Birth Defects Research.
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Is maternal employment a source of exposure misclassification in studies of environmental exposures and birth outcomes? An example of drinking water contaminants and birth defects. Zaganjor I, Keil AP, Luben TJ, Desrosiers TA, Engel LS, Reefhuis J, Michalski AM, Langlois PH, Olshan AF, and The National Birth Defects Prevention Study. (2022). Environmental Epidemiology, 6(2), e207.

Modeling complex effects of exposure to particulate matter and extreme heat during pregnancy on congenital heart defects. Simmons W, Stingone JA, Luben TJ, Sheridan SC, Langlois PH, Shaw GM, Reefhuis J, Romitti PA, Feldkamp ML, Nembhardt WN, Desrosiers TA, Browne ML, Lin S. (2022). Science of the Total Environment.
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North Carolina’s Changing Energy Generation Profile and Reductions in Key Air Pollutants, 2000-2019. Wilkie AA, Richardson DB, Luben TJ, Serre ML, Woods CG, Daniels JL. (). , () ; DOI:  (2022). North Carolina Medical Journal, 83(4), 304-310.
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Ozone exposure during early pregnancy and preterm birth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Rappazzo KM, Nichols JL, Rice RB, Luben TJ. (2021). Environmental Research.
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Maternal exposure to disinfection by-products and risk of hypospadias in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (2000-2005). Zaganjor I, Luben TJ, Desrosiers TA, Keil AP, Engel LS, Michalski A, Carmichael SL, Nembhardt WN, Shaw GM, Reefhuis J, Yazdy MM, Langlois PH, Feldkamp ML, Romitti PA, Olshan AF. (2020). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9564.

A spatially varying distributed lag model with application to an air pollution and term low birth weight study. Warren J, Luben TJ, Chang, H. (2020). Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series C (Applied Statistics).

Disparities in Distribution of Particulate Matter Emissions from US Coal-Fired Power Plants by Race and Poverty Status After Accounting for Reductions in Operations Between 2015 and 2017. Richmond-Bryant J, Mikati I, Benson A, Luben TJ, Sacks JD. (2020). American Journal of Public Health, 110.
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Associations between PM2.5 and risk of preterm birth among controls in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Alman BL, Stingone JA, Yazdy M, Botto LD, Desrosiers TA, Pruitt S, Herring AH, Langlois PH, Nembhardt WN, Shaw GM, Olshan AF, Luben TJ.  (2019). Annals of Epidemiology, 39.
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Associations between fine particulate matter, extreme heat events and congenital heart defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Stingone JA, Luben TJ, Sheridan S, Langlois PH, Shaw GM, Reefhuis J, Romitti PA, Feldkamp ML, Nembhard WN, Browne ML, Lin S. (2019). Environmental Epidemiology, 3(6).

Maternal exposure to outdoor air pollution and congenital limb deficiencies in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Choi G, Stingone JA, Desrosiers TA, Olshan AF, Nembhard WN, Shaw GM, Pruitt S, Romitti PA, Yazdy MM, Browne ML, Langlois PH, Botto L, Luben TJ. (2019). Environmental Research, 179.
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Critical window variable selection: estimating the impact of air pollution on very preterm birth. Warren JL, Kong W, Luben TJ, Chang HH. (2019). Biostatistics.
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Maternal residential exposure to specific agricultural pesticide active ingredients and birth defects in a 2003-2005 North Carolina birth cohort. Rappazzo KM, Warren JL, Davalos AD, Meyer RE, Sanders AP, Brownstein NC, Luben TJ. (2019). Birth Defects Research, 111.