Center Member Research Presentation: Heike Gibson, PhD
Join us for a Center Member Research Presentation by Dr. Heike Gibson on Traffic-related air pollution, lipoproteins, and cardiovascular disease risk in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). Following a brief presentation, there will be time for all participants to engage in a cross-disciplinary discussion with Dr. Gibson and each other.
Abstract: This talk will highlight findings from the analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of traffic related air pollution (TRAP) with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with a panel of lipid biomarkers in the nationwide, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acid supplements (VITAL) among 25,871 men and women. Satellite-based exposure models were used to estimate residence-specific ambient concentrations of NO2, PM2.5, and 11 PM2.5 components, and source apportionment methods were applied to identify and quantify contributions from tailpipe, non‑tailpipe, and road dust PM2.5. Lipid biomarkers were assessed by standard lipid tests and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
About the speaker: Heike Gibson, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her work focuses on the health effects of environmental exposures on respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes, and her research has examined acute and chronic exposure to air pollution and temperature in relation to cardiopulmonary and inflammatory endpoints in children and adults, factors that modify responses to air pollution, and mechanisms linking inhalation of ambient particles to acute cardiovascular and systemic effects.
During her 25+ years at HSPH, Dr. Gibson has participated in numerous air pollution studies, including the 5 Cities Study, 24 Cities Study, Teen Lung Study, Air Pollution and ICD-Detected Cardiac Arrhythmias, and the environmental arms of the Children’s Respiratory and Environmental Workgroup (CREW) and the Viva birth cohort, in various roles as project manager, data manager, and data analyst. She has led several geospatial projects to link air pollution, weather, and neighborhood-level census data to participants’ addresses to generate temporally and spatially resolved environmental exposures metrics for outcomes such as spirometry, biomarkers, and cardiovascular endpoints. In addition, she co-led the Lung VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL ancillary study (PI: Dr. Diane Gold) of associations between vitamin D and/or fish oil and acute respiratory episodes, asthma control, and lung function.
Dr. Gibson spends part of her time at the Department of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she collaborates with Dr. Samia Mora (Director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics) in the analyses of lipid and metabolic biomarkers in relation to cardiovascular risk factors and clinical events.
This event will be held in person in HSPH Bldg. 1, 1302 and via Zoom. Register here
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ⓘ Harvard Chan School hosts a diverse array of speakers, invited to share both scholarly research and personal perspectives. They do not speak for the School, and hosting them does not imply endorsement of their views, organizations, or employers.