Anna Pollack, PhD, MPH

Anna Pollack’s research focuses on the relationship between environmental chemical exposures and fertility, pregnancy, and gynecologic health. Critical to understanding these endpoints, she investigates biological mechanisms underlying these processes, such as biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption. Dr. Pollack’s research is based in the theory of critical windows of exposure, which emphasizes that the timing of chemical exposures can result in permanent changes. Dr. Pollack’s research also addresses disparities in exposure, which stem from environmental and occupational sources. She seeks to apply methods to examine complex mixtures to better understand their impact on women’s reproductive health.

Prior to joining George Mason University in 2013, Dr. Pollack was trained in reproductive and environmental epidemiology, and epidemiologic methods. She received her PhD in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University, MPH in environmental and occupational health from George Washington University, and BA in biology from Smith College. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Research

Research Interests

• Biomarkers
• Endocrine disruptors
• Environmental epidemiology
• Environmental chemicals
• Exposure mixtures
• Occupational epidemiology
• Women’s reproductive and perinatal health

Publications

• Pollack, A.Z., Hinkle, S.N., Liu, D., Yeung, E.H., Grantz, K.L., Mumford, S.L., & Schisterman, E.F. (2019). Vital Status Ascertainment for a Historic Diverse Cohort of U.S. Women. Epidemiology. 

• Radke, E., Persad, A., Navas-Acien, A., Pollack, A.Z., Galizia, A., Glenn, B., & Wright M. (2019). Development of outcome-specific criteria for study evaluation in systematic reviews of epidemiology studies. Environment International, 130. 

• Singh, J., Mumford, S.L., Pollack, A.Z., Schisterman, E.F., Weisskopf, M.G., Navas-Acien, A., Kioumourtzoglou, M.A. (2019). Tampon Use, Environmental Chemicals and Oxidative Stress in the BioCycle Study. Environmental Health, 18(1):11. 

• Harris, C., Willie, T.C., Cardoso, L.F., Campos, P.A., Diaz, C,, Pollack, A.Z., Gupta, J. (2018). High Frequency of Symptoms Suggestive of Endometriosis in a Clinic‐Based Sample of Low‐Income Women in Mexico City. World Medical & Health Policy, 10(4):415-9

• Pollack, A.Z., Mumford, S.L., Krall, J.R., Carmichael, A.E.*, Sjaarda, L.A., Perkins, N.J., & Schisterman, E.F. (2018). Exposure to bisphenol A, chlorophenols, benzophenones, and parabens in relation to reproductive hormones in healthy women: A chemical mixture approach. Environment International, 120:137-44. 

• Perkins, N.J., Weck, J., Mumford, S.L., Sjaarda, L.A., Mitchell, E.M., Pollack, A.Z., Schisterman, E.F. (2018). Combining Biomarker Calibration Data to Reduce Measurement Error. Epidemiology. 

• Brooks, D.R., Getz, K.D., Brennan, A.T., Pollack, A.Z., Fox, M.P. (2018). The impact of joint misclassification of exposures and outcomes on the results of epidemiologic research. Current Epidemiology Reports, 5(1):166-74

• Pollack, A.Z., Rivers, K.*, Ahrens, K.A. (2018). Parity associated with telomere length among US reproductive age women. Human Reproduction. 

• Radin, R.G., Sjaarda, L.A., Silver, R.M., Nobles, C.J., Mumford, S.L., & Schisterman, E.F. (2018). C-reactive protein in relation to fecundability and anovulation among eumenorrheic women. Fertility and Sterility. [PMID: 29317123]

• Pollack AZ, Mumford SL, Sjaarda L, Perkins NJ, Malik F, Wactawski-Wende J, & Schisterman EF. (2017). Blood lead, cadmium, and mercury in relation to homocysteine and C-reactive protein in women of reproductive age: a panel study. Environmental Health, 16(1), 84. [PMID: 28789684]

Honors and Awards

• Star Reviewer Award, 2016, Fertility and Sterility
• NIH Merit Award, Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology Team, 2010, NIH
• Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Honor Society, 2001, Sigma Xi

Affiliations

• International Society for Environmental Epidemiology

• Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research

• Society for Epidemiologic Research - Member, 2014

• Endocrine Society - Member, 2006 – 2008

• American Public Health Association

Degrees

• PhD, Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• MPH, Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
• BA, Biology, Smith College