Dr. Jennifer Hartle is an environmental health scientist who researches the connections between chemical exposures, food policy, and human health. She is most concerned about endocrine disrupting chemicals that can mimic, block or stimulate hormones in the body and how we are exposed to them in our food every day. Dr. Hartle is trained in exposure science and food systems. She began exploring dietary environmental exposures during her doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. For her dissertation, she examined exposures to bisphenol A (BPA), (a hormonally active compound used widely in canned food linings and plastic food containers) to identify vulnerable populations and to develop exposure prevention strategies. A second aspect of her doctoral research investigated public school nutrition programs and modeled potential BPA exposures from school meals. Dr. Hartle’s current research at Stanford University investigates whether exposures to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals are connected to obesity. In collaborative research, Dr. Hartle is studying the connection between prenatal exposure to environmentally persistent chemicals, or chemicals that do not break down in the environment, and childhood obesity. Her work can be found in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, Current Environmental Health Reports, Obesity, the Civil Eats blog, and the first food systems textbook Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Public Health, Environment, and Equity.
At SOUL Food salon, Dr. Hartle told us about her top chemicals of concern in the food system. She uncovered some of the food policies that allow us to be exposed to chemicals on a daily basis. She also explained practical ways we can actively advocate for a safer food environment and overhaul our kitchens to protect ourselves from chemical exposures in our diet. Contact information:
Click here to view the powerpoint presentation from the salon.