Rob McConnell, MD
Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine
Division Chief (Interim), Environmental Health
Director Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center
Director (MPI) Southern California Children’s Environmental Health Research Translation Center
Websites: https://scehsc.usc.edu/, https://scehsc.usc.edu/leadership/
Areas of research:
- Climate change and health
- Effects of extreme heat and wildfire smoke on mortality and childhood mental health
- How to reduce the carbon footprint of health care, which accounts for approximately 10% of all U.S. CO2 emissions, in pilot projects in Keck and USC as laboratories for new approaches
- Extreme weather events, migration, human rights, and mental health in Mesoamerica
- Better tools for science research translation – press coverage, commentaries, “white papers” and policy briefs, op-eds, marketing, others
- Effects of air pollution on neurodevelopment, including autism and childhood depression
- Effects of PFAS and other “forever chemicals” on fatty liver and diabetes
EH MATTERS Internship Description:
The internship provides opportunities to develop skills in science communication and for hands-on research on selected topics in climate change and health as part of initiatives of EH Centers. Potential for engagement in research on mental health and effects of “forever chemicals.”
Key Publications:
- McConnell R, Berhane K, Gilliland F, London SJ, Islam T, Gauderman WJ, Avol E, Margolis HG, Peters JM. Asthma in exercising children exposed to ozone: a cohort study. Lancet. 2002; 359:386-91.
- *Shankardass K, McConnell R, Jerrett M, Milam J, Richardson J, Berhane K. (2009). Parental stress increases the effect of traffic-related air pollution on childhood asthma incidence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 106(30):12406-11. PubMed PMID: 19620729; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2718368.
- McConnell R, Gilliland FD, Goran M, Allayee H, Hricko A, Mittelman S. Does near-roadway air pollution contribute to childhood obesity? Pediatr Obes.2016;11:1-3.
- McConnell R, Shen E, Gilliland FD, Jerrett M, Wolch J, Chang CC, Lurmann F, Berhane K. A longitudinal cohort study of body mass index and childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and air pollution: the Southern California Children's Health Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2015;123:360-6. PMCID: PMC4384197.
- *Barrington-Trimis JL, Samet JM, McConnell R. Flavorings in electronic cigarettes: an unrecognized respiratory health hazard?. JAMA. 2014;312:2493-4. PMCID: PMC4361011.
- *Rahman MM, McConnell R, Schlaerth H, Ko J, Silva S, Lurmann FW, Palinkas L, Johnston J, Hurlburt M, Yin H, Ban-Weiss G, Garcia E. The Effects of Co-Exposure to Extremes of Heat and Particulate Air Pollution on Mortality in California: Implications for Climate Change. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202204-0657OC.
- *Rahman MM, Shu YH, Chow T, Lurmann FW, Yu X, Martinez MP, Carter SA, Eckel SP, Chen JC, Chen Z, Levitt P, Schwartz J, McConnell R**, Xiang AH**. Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Sensitive Windows of Exposure and Sex Differences. Environ Health Perspect. 2022:17008. PMCID:8733257
*Student or junior faculty mentored by McConnell; **co-senior author
