Training Grant in Environmental Health Sciences

The CEET T32 training grant, Translational Research Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences (PIs: Drs. Trevor Penning and Rebecca Simmons) is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and supports three predoctoral and four postdoctoral fellows. All applicants, predoctoral and postdoctoral, must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Mission

The mission of the T32 program is to train the next generation of environmental health scientists in the mechanisms by which environmental exposures cause disease and to translate these findings into effective prevention, and treatment and improvements in public health.

Emphasizes training in translational research

that transcends basic and population-based research, patient-oriented research, community engagement and public health policy

Supports common experiences

including a research club, a dedicated seminar series, an annual symposium, and optional externships/experiential learning opportunities outside of Penn

Fosters interdisciplinary collaboration

and access to a network of investigators and resources of CEET, including our Community Engagement Core, Translational Research Support Core, Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Core, and Environmental Health Informatics Core

Prepares students for a suite of careers

in the employment sector e.g., academia (in EHS, Pharmacology and Toxicology), government agencies (e.g., US-EPA, CDC, FDA, NTP, NIH), and industry (drug, food, cosmetic and nanotechnology)

Application Cycles/Deadlines

Predoctoral applications are reviewed annually. The application deadline is March 31st. The anticipated start date for appointments is July 1st. Postdoctoral applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Appointment start dates vary. Please check with Jenn Kuklinski (jkuklins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) regarding the availability of slots.

Predoctoral Applicants

Predoctoral applicants must conduct thesis work in translational environmental health sciences and must be enrolled or willing to enroll in the Certificate Program in Environmental Health Sciences:

  • Predoctoral applicants must have chosen a thesis topic and mentor (must be an approved T32 trainer).
  • Predoctoral applicants will be supported for one year pre‐thesis and for up to two years of thesis research.
  • Trainees are required to participate in all training grant‐related activities such as the T32 Research Talks, CEET Seminar Series, and CEET Symposium.

Predoctoral applicants should submit the following documents to Jenn Kuklinski (jkuklins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu):

  • A letter of application
  • A description of the proposed research project
  • Resume
  • BGS Transcript (to date)
  • A letter of support from the mentor

Postdoctoral Applicants

Postdoctoral applicants must conduct full‐time research in translational environmental health sciences.

  • Postdoctoral applicants (basic scientists and clinician scientists) who wish to conduct environmental health with a T32 trainer are eligible for support
  • Postdoctoral applicants will be supported for up to two years.

Trainees are required to:

  • Participate in all training grant‐related activities, such as T32 Research Talks, CEET Seminar Series, and CEET Symposium.
  • Complete both the compulsory and optional elements of the intramural training program offered by Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP).
  • Attain additional mentoring from the Career Development Program of the CEET.

Postdoctoral applicants should submit the following documents to Jenn Kuklinski (jkuklins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu):

  • A letter of application (emphasizing a commitment to Environmental Health Sciences)
  • NIH Biosketch or resume
  • A description of the proposed research project
  • A letter of support from the mentor (must be an approved T32 trainer)

Meet the CEET Trainees (2025-2026)

Predoctoral Trainee

Tanis Dorwart (Mentor: Kara Bernstein, PhD)

Tanis is a third year Cancer Biology PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Arcadia University in 2020 with a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. During her undergraduate research, she characterized and screened novel chemotherapeutics designed to target triple-negative breast cancers. Now as a graduate student in the lab of Kara Bernstein, Tanis is investigating the role of the Shu complex in mediating and resolving DNA lesions acquired due to environmental factors such as chemical mutagens and radiation.

Headshot of Tanis Dorwart
Predoctoral Trainee

Jennifer Ko, MPH (Mentor: Aimin Chen, MD, PhD)

Jennifer earned her BS in Nursing from Emory University and MPH from George Washington University, where her clinical work and public health training sparked a deep interest in how environmental exposures affect maternal health. As a PhD student in Epidemiology under the advisement of Dr. Aimin Chen, Jennifer studies how PFAS and heavy metal toxicant mixtures influence endocrine outcomes in pregnancy, specifically gestational diabetes. Her research leverages environmental epidemiology to identify key chemical exposures and vulnerable subgroups, with the goal of informing targeted public health interventions and guiding policies that protect marginalized communities.

Headshot of Jennifer Ko
Postdoctoral Trainee

Latoya Jeanpierre, MD, MS (Mentor: Heather Burris, MD, MPH)

Dr. Jeanpierre is a Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Fellow. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago in Anthropology and obtained her MD at Wayne State University. As part of a predoctoral T32 program during medical school, she received an MS in Clinical Investigation from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Jeanpierre is investigating the relationship between air pollution and asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to shed light on which air pollutants in the Philadelphia region contribute to worsening asthma symptoms in children. She seeks to provide valuable insights that will inform clinicians and families on specific interventions that can reduce the burden of air pollution-related asthma exacerbations.

Headshot of Latoya Jeanpierre
Postdoctoral Trainee

Kayla Komondor, PhD (Mentor: Marisa Bartolomei, PhD)

Kayla is a postdoctoral researcher in the Bartolomei Lab in the Cell and Developmental Biology Department. She earned her PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied polyspermy blocking mechanisms. Currently, Kayla’s research focuses on the epigenetic consequences of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure in offspring. The goal of this research is to elucidate whether ART-conceived offspring who are exposed to EDCs exhibit compounded effects, which has the potential to inform current, widely used ART procedures.

Head shot of Kayla Komondor, PhD
Predoctoral Trainee

Alyssa Moore (Mentor: Brian Capell, MD, PhD)

Alyssa is a third year Genetics & Epigenetics PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2023 with a BS in Microbiology & Cell Science. As a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Brian Capell, Alyssa is investigating epigenetic mechanisms involved in the development and progression of skin cancer. An element of her project is using ultraviolet radiation to investigate how environmental exposures may induce epigenetic memories, and how these memories may influence disease initiation and progression.

Headshot of Alyssa Moore

Become a Faculty Trainer

Each trainee is partnered with a Faculty Trainer who mentors the trainee throughout their tenure in the program. If you are interested in becoming a Faculty Trainer, please submit the following documents to Jenn Kuklinski (jkuklins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu):

  • Statement of research and interest in Environmental Health Sciences
  • NIH Biosketch
  • NIH Other Support or equivalent
  • List of past and current predoctoral trainees-last 10 years
  • List of past and current postdoctoral trainees-last 10 years