Ruzmyn Vilcassim

Ruzmyn Vilcassim is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, UAB School of Public Health. His research primarily involves investigating the health effects associated with exposure to air pollutants, with a focus on particulate matter air pollution and cardiopulmonary health. He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Health (exposure assessment and health effects) from New York University, and subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NYU School of Medicine (Pediatrics), where he investigated air quality and health impacts of alternative tobacco products use. His ongoing research at UAB includes studying the adverse cardiopulmonary impacts of e-cigarette use, health risks of e-cigarette use during pregnancy, and testing and validation of low-cost air quality and health monitoring devices. He has previous work experience in environmental pollution prevention, sustainable agriculture, and mitigating climate change impacts on vulnerable communities at international environmental non-profit organizations.

Fellowship Project: Potential adverse impacts of vaping on perinatal health in women who use e-cigarettes during pregnancy.

This study investigates the rapidly growing trend of electronic cigarette use (“vaping”), particularly among adolescents, with 3.2% to 4.8% of U.S. adults using these devices. With an estimated 13 million users in the U.S., concern is rising over the number of pregnant women vaping, mistakenly believing it to be a safe alternative to traditional smoking. ENDS flavorings are appealing to pregnant women due to changes in taste and nausea, potentially increasing use during pregnancy, with reported rates between 3.6% and 7%. However, these self-reported rates may be unreliable due to potential underreporting from the stigma of smoking or vaping and inadequate hospital intake screenings. This study aims to assess the adverse effects of vaping on perinatal health by comparing biomarkers in pregnant women who vape against those who do not.