Dr. Bruce Lanphear
Professor Lanphear’s research bridges preventive medicine, pediatrics, public health, toxicology, and infectious disease, driven by a commitment to preventing disease and disability. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed studies exploring the impact of toxic chemicals on children's intellectual development, behavior, and brain structure. Recognized among the top 1% of most-cited scientists globally, his work has garnered over 49,000+ citations (h-index: 104; seven publications with 1,000+ citations; i10 index: 342).
“Story is what helps us drive certain types of investment in research . . . How much evidence do we need to take action? That’s driven by story, not by the science.”
–Dr. Bruce Lanphear
More to the story
Bruce is the founding principal investigator of the HOME Study, a two-decade-long prospective birth cohort, continuously funded by the National Institute of Health, that examines how early-life exposure to environmental chemicals influences neurobehavioral and cardiometabolic outcomes in children and adolescents. He also serves as co-principal investigator of the pan-Canadian MIREC Neurobehavior Study, a large study investigating the effects of gestational and childhood exposure to toxic chemicals on learning and behavior. Additionally, Professor Lanphear was the founding director of an NIH-funded interdisciplinary postdoctoral training program spanning pediatrics, psychology, and epidemiology.
His team recently discovered that gestational exposure to phthalates—chemicals found in plastics—may increase the risk of autistic behaviors in children, particularly when the mother is folate-deficient. With new NIH funding, his research now focuses on chemicals that reduce folate availability (e.g., tobacco, arsenic) and those whose effects on autism risk may be modified by folate (e.g., pesticides, phthalates). This research suggests a potential epigenetic mechanism and includes investigations into gene-environment interactions (e.g., MTHFR mutations) and anti-folate antibodies.
In another NIH-funded study, his team found that prenatal fluoride exposure is linked to lower IQ scores in boys, particularly when maternal urinary iodine levels are low—supporting the hypothesis that fluoride disrupts thyroid hormone function during early brain development. These studies have the potential to uncover key risk factors, reveal underlying mechanisms, and inform strategies for preventing childhood disabilities.
