Special Interview with Dr. Donghai Liang
On November 25, 2024, the Editorial Office of Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment (JEEA) conducted an in-depth interview with Dr. Donghai Liang, Associate Professor at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA. Dr. Liang is an expert in environmental health sciences, with a research focus on understanding how ubiquitous environmental exposures-such as air pollution, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and phenols-affect human health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, children, and individuals with chronic diseases.
By integrating cutting-edge exposure assessment, exposomics, and multi-omics technologies, Dr. Liang and his research team aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms linking environmental pollutants to adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. His group leads several major projects supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), including studies investigating the role of air pollution in preterm birth and neurodegeneration, as well as multi-omics analyses of environmental contributions to Alzheimer's disease.
During the interview, Dr. Liang emphasized the importance of advancing multi-omics integration, machine learning applications, and exposome-based modeling to identify biomarkers, better characterize pollutant mixtures, and improve the accuracy of exposure assessment. Looking forward, he plans to expand research on early biomarkers for disease risk prediction, leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for causal inference, and explore nutritional interventions to mitigate environmental health risks at the population level.
Regarding journal development, Dr. Liang suggested that JEEA should prioritize areas such as multi-omics exposome research, AI and machine learning applications, life-course exposure studies, and emerging pollutants such as PFAS and microplastics. He also recommended organizing Special Issues on cutting-edge topics, promoting methodological innovations, and enhancing collaboration with international societies in exposure science and environmental epidemiology to further enhance global impact and scholarly contributions.
Watch the video for Dr. Liang's expert insights:
Interview Questions:
1. Could you please briefly introduce the research work of your team?
2. In your view, what is the core role of environmental exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology? What are the main challenges in revealing the long-term health impacts of environmental exposures?
3. How can exposomics help identify associations between environmental pollutant exposure and specific health problems (e.g., chronic and respiratory diseases)? What is the potential of exposomics in predicting environmental exposure-related health risks?
4. What research directions are you most excited to pursue in the future?
5. Journals are essential to promote exposome research. In your opinion, which priority research topics should JEEA focus on? What practical suggestions do you have for attracting high-quality submissions in these areas?
About Dr. Donghai Liang:
Dr. Donghai Liang is an Associate Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA. He is the Principal Investigator of the Environmental Metabolic and Exposomic Research Group (EMERG), dedicated to precision environmental health research. His work emphasizes molecular epidemiology, exposure assessment, and the integration of multi-omics data to reveal biological mechanisms linking the exposome to human disease. Dr. Liang has led multiple NIH-funded projects investigating the exposome's role in preterm birth, neurodegenerative diseases, and environmental carcinogenesis. As the corresponding author, he has published extensively in leading international journals, contributing significantly to the fields of environmental health sciences and molecular epidemiology.
Editor: Tracy Sun
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment
