Anthony J. Russell, MPH

Short Term Exposure Limits (STELs) and Their Correlation to Chemical RD₅₀s, Cincinnati, Ohio — Performed a literature review and historical overview of the history of the development of the RD₅₀. Analyses also included the development of a predictive model based on the correlation between STELs and RD₅₀s using least squares linear regression performed in R software. This model was used in a publication outlining its predictive capabilities for commonly used industrial chemicals where toxicological data were lacking.

Epidemiology of Occupational Exposure to Industrial Chemicals, Cincinnati, Ohio — Performed and assisted with systematic reviews of occupational exposure to various chemicals (including benzene, glyphosate, ethylene oxide, and formaldehyde) and associated risk of carcinogenic outcomes (including leukemias, lung cancer, and stomach cancer). Analyses included the generation of forest plots using R software and synthesizing findings from longitudinal cohort studies to summarize the risk of occupational exposure.

Assessment of Exposure to Ethylene Oxide and Associations with Cancer, Cincinnati, Ohio — Conducted a critical systematic review of the epidemiological literature on industrial cohorts with known exposure to ethylene oxide. Initial research included a comprehensive literature review, followed by a quality assessment across key study domains, including exposure measurement, statistical modeling, reproducibility, and participant selection. Study findings demonstrated no clear or consistent association between exposure to ethylene oxide and any site-specific cancer. Specific cancers assessed included stomach cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia.

Triangulation of the Epidemiological Evidence of Formaldehyde and Myeloid Leukemias, Cincinnati, Ohio — Conducted a critical review of the epidemiological literature on population-based and occupational cohorts with known exposure to formaldehyde. The result of the review was the development of a novel framework for triangulating potential sources of bias within and between studies. The potential for the epidemiological evidence to support any causal association between formaldehyde and myeloid leukemias was also explored.

Identification of High-End Percentiles for Use in Consumer Exposure Assessments, Cincinnati, Ohio — Conducted a review of regulatory guidance on human health exposure assessments to identify appropriate high-end percentile ranges. The result was the development of a framework for identifying a target upper-end exposure percentile (90th, 95th, 99th, etc.) for use in human health risk assessments of consumer products. The use of advanced statistical modeling, including probabilistic and Bayesian models, was also explored.

Systematic Review and Risk of Bias Analysis, Cincinnati, Ohio — Performed systematic reviews of epidemiological and related scientific literature, including risk of bias analyses, for various occupational and environmental exposures including talc, formaldehyde, benzene, PFAS , and ethylene oxide.

Cosmetic Talc Epidemiology, Cincinnati, Ohio — Served as project manager and technical contributor within the context of litigation cases in which it was alleged that exposure to trace levels of asbestos in cosmetic talcum powder products was associated with or contributed to causing pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and ovarian cancers.

Glyphosate Toxicology, Los Angeles, California — Served as project manager and technical contributor within the context of litigation cases in which it was alleged that exposure to glyphosate containing herbicides and pesticides was associated with or contributed to causing kidney cancers.

Artificial Stone Exposure, Los Angeles, California — In the context of various class action lawsuits, conducted comprehensive reviews and syntheses of the available epidemiological and toxicological literature of the potential associations between artificial and engineered stone and human health endpoints, including silicosis, lung cancer and auto-immune conditions.

Sterilization Facilities and Community Exposure to Ethylene Oxide, Denver, Colorado — Technically contributed to various litigation cases in which it was alleged that community exposures to fugitive emissions of ethylene oxide from sterilization facilities was associated with or contributed to causing various cancers including breast cancer and leukemias.

COVID-19 Contact Tracing, New Haven, Connecticut — Assisted the COVID-19 pandemic response effort through recruitment, onboarding, and training of state level contact tracers. Established the structure and design of the contact tracing response to include a contact tracing coordinator, five contact tracing mentors, and a training system partnering new tracers with experienced contact tracers. Upon implementation of this program design, the contact tracing team successfully hit target metrics of attempting 190 calls per week with a rate of 90 percent for cases or contacts.

Study of Dietary Patterns of African Refugees, New Haven, Connecticut — Designed a cross-sectional mixed methods study conducted in two phases. Phase 1 consisted of in-depth interviews with refugees to identify factors influencing their management of chronic illnesses and food insecurity. Phase 2 included surveys assessing food insecurity, coping mechanisms, dietary intake, and chronic illnesses designed to analyze dietary patterns of African refugees over a 6-month timeframe. Findings supported the distribution of food baskets in a culturally appropriate and meaningful manner and identified modifications to ensure food baskets help refugees manage their chronic illness while also combating food insecurity. A qualitative conceptual model detailing causes and contributing factors of refugee food insecurity was developed and refined. Other responsibilities included the management of the research team to successfully meet deadlines and fulfill research requirements.

Development Officer, U.S. Peace Corps, Mafeteng, Lesotho — Educated local village high school level students in mathematics and life skills, including trigonometry, geometry, algebra, and HIV mitigation and prevention. Created and formatted lesson plans for 12 local teachers, optimizing performance and improving overall test scores from previous year. Wrote and managed several grants including a U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) grant for an income-generating project that successfully brought 200 layer chickens to the village, and tuition scholarships for at-risk children to attend and purchase supplies for school. Collaborated on HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) training outlining risks, symptoms, and mitigation strategies including sexual education. Founded the Health and Youth Running Club for students to engage in after school where they were taught the importance of an active lifestyle and diverse diet to support and maintain a healthy immune system. Managed the Peace Corps fitness group providing daily workouts and mental health exercises.

TSCA Risk Evaluations, Cincinnati, Ohio — Conducted critical review of epidemiological evidence addressing various chemical exposures and cancer risks in support of TSCA risk evaluations.

Epidemiologic Evidence Triangulation, Cincinnati, Ohio — Developed and published a novel framework for epidemiological evidence triangulation incorporating study quality and risk-of-bias approaches with a focus on identifying and quantifying potential sources of bias. Applied triangulation methods to a case study of occupational chemical exposures and risk of leukemia subtypes.