Training Grant in Environmental Health Sciences

The CEET T32 training grant, Translational Research Training Program in Environmental Health Sciences (PIs: Drs. Blanca Himes, 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 (2024-2025)

Predoctoral Trainee

Rose Albert, MPH (Mentor: Krithika Lingappan, MD, PhD, MS)

Rose graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BS in Chemistry and an MPH in Environmental Health. For her undergraduate thesis, she utilized fluorescence polarization microscopy to establish a timeline for the acquisition of cadherin order during desmosome assembly. While in Alabama, her academic and nonprofit experiences in public health policy, environmental leadership, and social justice advocacy fostered a deep connection to southern environmental justice issues. Now as a Pharmacology PhD student in the lab of Dr. Krithika Lingappan, Rose studies environmental exposures and sex differences in lung injury and development. Rose’s long-term goal is to provide scientific and technical support to communities overburdened by environmental injustice and the climate crisis, especially in the South.

A headshot of Rose Albert, MPH
Predoctoral Trainee

Andrea Andress Huacachino (Mentor: Trevor Penning, PhD)

Andrea is a doctoral candidate in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate group. She completed her BS in Chemical Biology and MS in Chemistry from Stevens Institute of Technology. Andrea joined the lab of Dr. Trevor Penning where her research explores the effects pf endocrinedisrupting chemicals on polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, by characterizing the role of perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA. She also wants to understand the role of hyperandrogenism in PCOS. Using cellular, biochemical, and computational methods, interactions between the aldo-keto reductase family 1 members (AKR1C), hyperandrogenism, and PFOA in the context of PCOS are explored. Her interest in the topic stems from its connection to toxicology, relevance to women’s health, and impact on social responsibility. Andrea is strongly passionate about environmental justice and involved in various diversity and inclusion initiatives around the Penn and Philadelphia community.

A headshot of Andrea Andress
Predoctoral Trainee

Francine Baker, MS (Mentor: Joel Babdor, PhD)

Francine Baker is a 2nd year Immunology PhD student. She earned her BS in Public Health Science from the University of Maryland and her MS in Biology from the University of the District of Columbia. As a Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute she developed her skills in translational cancer biology and molecular epidemiology. For her master thesis she investigated the role of IFNL4 and Epstein Barr virus on Burkitt Lymphoma risk. Francine’s PhD research focuses on the immune-microbiome interactions in sickle cell disease (SCD) and the impact of environmental exposures. Francine aims to uncover how early-life perturbations, like asplenia and penicillin prophylaxis, affect long-term immune health and conditions like asthma and acute chest syndrome. Francine is actively involved in the sickle cell community, advocating for better understanding and treatment of SCD. Her work strives to bridge the gap between clinical research and patient care, improving health outcomes for individuals with SCD.

T32 Trainee Francine Baker
Postdoctoral Trainee

Latoya Jeanpierre, MD, MS (Mentor: Blanca Himes, PhD)

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. Working under the mentorship of Dr. Himes, 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.

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
Postdoctoral Trainee

Anna Palovcak, PhD (Mentor: Kara Bernstein, PhD)

Anna is a postdoctoral researcher in the Bernstein lab in the department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. She earned her PhD at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on DNA repair mechanisms of genomic alkylation damage. The goal of the research is to determine the biochemical mechanisms used by DNA repair factors to successfully remove DNA alkylation damage and restore genome fidelity. These findings can then inform how individual genetic differences in certain DNA repair factors contribute to varying efficiencies in DNA alkylation damage repair, which can predict cancer development risk and treatment strategies.

A headshot of Anna Palovcak, PhD
Postdoctoral Trainee

Alekh Paranjapye, PhD (Mentor: Erica Korb, PhD)

Alekh is a postdoctoral researcher who joined the Korb lab in the Genetics Department in 2022. There, he studies complex gene regulation in neurons. He earned his PhD in Genetics and Genome Sciences from Case Western Reserve University where he focused on epigenetics and higher order chromatin structure in the human airway epithelium. One of his research interests is in determining the intersection of neurological gene expression paradigms affected by chromatin modifiers that may act as risk factors of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and exposure to the toxicant bisphenol A (BPA).

A headshot of Alekh Paranjapye, PhD

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