COUNCIL
ISCHE Council
PRESIDENT
Lesliam Quiros-Alcala, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
Lesliam Quiros-Alcala, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
As an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Dr. Quiros- Alcala’s journey in environmental health centers on equity, advocacy, and impact. Trained in exposure science and environmental epidemiology at UC Berkeley, her career spans over 15 years of community-engaged research, championing protections for children, women, and workers globally. Dr. Quiros- Alcala’s science gains meaning through partnerships with impacted communities and those positioned to create change. Her guiding principle: evidence alone does not improve lives, action does.
ISCHE shaped her career since 2015, serving in mentoring programs, including the Research-to-Action Fellowship, supporting the Little Things Matter initiative, presenting at retreats, and alongside colleagues, co-publishing global calls to action and testifying to strengthen children’s health policies. Her leadership extends beyond ISCHE, including roles in the NIH ECHO program, advisory boards (e.g., Children’s Environmental Health Network, Health Effects Institute, Maryland Governor’s Environmental Justice Commission, NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors) and International Society of Exposure Science leadership.
Dr. Quiros- Alcala’s vision is to galvanize ISCHE’s diverse membership to address pressing threats to children’s environmental health. She will champion inclusion and engagement, especially from underrepresented regions in ISCHE (low/middle-income countries), while strengthening and fostering new strategic partnerships with agencies and foundations to position ISCHE as a trusted global resource for evidence, mentorship, and advocacy. Expanding professional development will also be prioritized. Together, we will accelerate progress, ensuring children’s environmental health stands at the heart of policy and public health practice worldwide. Committed to advancing ISCHE’s mission with integrity and vision, she would be honored to serve, lead, and learn from this extraordinary community.
VICE-PRESIDENT
Ana Mora- Wyrobek, MD, PhD
Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH),
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Mora- Wyrobek is an Associate Researcher at UC Berkeley’s Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH). She earned an MD from the University of Costa Rica (2005) and a PhD in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley (2014). Her research focuses on the health effects of environmental toxicants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in vulnerable populations—especially pregnant women and children—through epidemiologic studies in Latin America and the United States. Dr. Mora- Wyrobek collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, mentor trainees, and emphasize research translation that is actionable for clinicians, communities, and policymakers.
Dr. Mora- Wyrobek has been an ISCHE member since 2017, have attended three retreats, served on the Council (2022–2023), and, since 2023, served as Treasurer. She is currently seeking election as ISCHE Vice President. Her priorities are increasing representation from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), supporting middle-career researchers in children’s environmental health, and pursuing fundraising opportunities to ensure ISCHE’s long-term sustainability. To advance these goals, she would work with the Council and committees to co-develop a mid-career catalyst program (mentorship, leadership pathways, recognition); establish LMIC micro-grants and travel awards paired with mentorship to strengthen equitable global participation; craft a mission-aligned development strategy focused on foundation and agency partnerships with transparent COI guardrails; and support multilingual outreach and practical toolkits for clinicians and families to accelerate research-to-action.
Dr. Mora- Wyrobek brings deep experience in Latin America and strong networks across children’s environmental health. In her Treasurer role, she has gained hands-on experience with budgeting, transparent reporting, and stewardship—skills she will bring to a VP portfolio focused on growth with integrity. She looks forward to continuing to serve this outstanding organization.
TREASURER
Kasia Kordas, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Buffalo
Dr. Kordas has been part of ISCHE since 2020, participating in the Climate Action committee and ISCHE’s climate statement, and as mentor in the Research to Action Fellowship Program. In 2024, Dr. Kordas was elected as ISCHE councilor; She also co-led the organization of ISCHE’s 7th retreat at UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Now, She is a member of the organizing committee for the 8th retreat at Arantzazu Sanctuary, Basque Country, Spain.
In my day job, Dr. Kordas is an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the University at Buffalo (UB). She is also a faculty affiliate of the WHO Collaborating Center on Housing and Health at UB. My training is in nutritional sciences, environmental health, and global health. Together with colleagues from Uruguay, Dr. Kordas established and co-lead the Salud Ambiental Montevideo cohort. We have been evaluating the health of school children and adolescents in relation to complex mixtures since 2011. Our work incorporates the influence of contextual factors, such as family and neighborhood resources and disadvantages. Dr. Kordas has also been working with colleagues in Latin America to bring attention to the need for biomonitoring programs on children’s exposure to heavy metals and other environmental toxicants.
For the role of treasurer, in addition to doing the job with integrity, her goals are to work with the membership committee and budding fundraising efforts to ensure ISCHE’s financial health into the future, to support new generations of leaders in children’s environmental health.
SECRETARY
Luis Bautista
Research Coordinator, National Institute of Public Health in Mexico (INSP)
Luis Bautista is Research Manager at the National Institute of Public Health (Mexico), where he has played a central role in the management and coordination of major public health research projects, including the environmental health cohort studies ELEMENT and PROGRESS.
Mr. Bautista has also contributed to other environmental health initiatives and led efforts on lead exposure prevention, designing and analyzing a national survey to measure childhood lead exposure across Mexico. His work has resulted in numerous scientific publications and provided key evidence for public policy recommendations at federal and local levels.
PRESIDENT EX-OFFICIO
Megan K. Horton, PhD
Professor, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Megan Horton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola University Chicago, Master of Arts in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Master of Public Health and Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from Columbia University. She received post-doctoral training through the Neuroepidemiology T32 Training Program at Columbia University. Prior to joining Mount Sinai in 2013, she was an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia, funded through a K99/R00 award from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. Understanding the relationship between environmental factors and neurodevelopment throughout the life course lies at the heart of her research. Her lab integrates exposure science, environmental epidemiology, neuroimaging and advanced statistical approaches to understand how our environment impacts human health.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Rob McConnell, MD
Professor, University of Southern California
Rob McConnell is a physician-epidemiologist and the director of the NIEHS-supported Southern California Children’s Environmental Health Research Translation Center. During 25 years at the University of Southern California he has studied the effects of air pollution on various childhood outcomes,
including asthma and lung function, childhood obesity and its metabolic consequences and autism. More recently, he has studied the role of PFAS and endocrine disrupting chemicals on metabolic dysregulation in children. He developed air pollution burden of disease and cost estimates on a local level as a tool for engaging community and policy makers in environmental health science. Rob has experience in policy during several years spent as the director of a WHO American Region center for environmental health for Latin America and the Caribbean. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Rob is also a founding member of ISCHE.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Youssef Oulhote, PhD
Associate Professor, Environmental Medicine; Global Health and Health Systems Design, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Youssef Oulhote is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the departments of Environmental Medicine & Global Health and System Design at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research focuses on examining how environmental contaminants affect neurodevelopment and cognitive function across the lifespan. Dr. Oulhote's work has been focusing on understanding nutrient-contaminant interactions, especially how nutritional factors like folate and vitamin B12 can modify the neurotoxic effects of heavy metals and EDCs. With expertise in exposure assessment, biostatistics and Epidemiological methods methods, Dr. Oulhote has published extensively in leading environmental health journals. His research informs public health strategies aimed at protecting children's neurodevelopment through both exposure reduction and nutritional interventions in at-risk communities.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz, ScD
Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences Department, Columbia Children’s Environmental Health Center, Columbia University
Dr. Tamayo- Ortiz is pleased to serve as a Council Member of the International Society of Children’s Health and the Environment (ISCHE). She previously had the privilege of serving on the ISCHE Council from 2019–2021, and since then have remained engaged with the Society through the Fellowship Program, mentoring early-career colleagues committed to advancing children’s environmental health.
Dr. Tamayo- Ortiz’s experience in international societies has also shaped my leadership. As a past Executive Committee Member and Chair of the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, she worked to strengthen regional voices, expand participation, and promote collaboration across
countries and disciplines. Currently, she serves as Director of Research Programs at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, where I oversee projects that unite research, practice, and policy. At Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Tamayo- Ortiz is a faculty lead of the Community Health Collaborative, co-director of the DrPH Program in Environmental Health Sciences, and a faculty member of the
Global Health Center in Rio. Through these roles, she has built strong connections across disciplines, regions, and communities–connections she would leverage to advance ISCHE’s mission.
If re-elected to Council, Dr. Tamayo- Ortiz will bring a deep commitment to training future generations of scientists, practitioners, and community leaders, and to engaging the public in advancing children’s environmental health. She is especially motivated to ensure the Society’s scientific agenda reflects urgent environment and health challenges, guided by community voices and priorities. Dr. Tamayo- Ortiz’s goal is to foster stronger collaboration, mentorship, and global dialogue that will strengthen ISCHE and the broader field.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon MPH
Executive Director, Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN)
Ms. Witherspoon has been an ISCHE member for many years and have had the pleasure of attending and presenting at three retreats. For the last few years, she has enjoyed serving on the Fellowship Committee. Now Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) is hosting some ISCHE fellows. Ms. Witherspoon is very excited about the communication projects that these talented leaders are pursuing on behalf of our collective field.
She has had the honor of serving as the Executive Director of CEHN for over two decades. Our mission has always been to promote the protection, health, and well-being of all children from environmental threats and now the growing threats of climate change. Dr. Witherspoon holds leadership positions that may also be beneficial to ISCHE. She is a Science Advisor to the Environmental Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) research program and Principal Investigator of the Children’s Environmental Health Research Translation Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She holds leadership positions in Habitable, Clean Water for All, Healthy Air Partners, Healthy Schools Coalition, and United Outdoors. CEHN also runs the Eco-Healthy Child Care Program and Children’s Environmental Health Day (celebrating 10 years on October 9th). CEHN is also working to nurture and grow a Global Children’s Environmental Health Network.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Rafael Buralli, PhD
Professor, Health Surveillance, Policy, Management and Health, University of Sao Paulo School of Public Health
Dr. Buralli completed his PhD in Public Health in 2020 at the University of São Paulo, where he now serves as a Professor in the Department of Policy, Management, and Health. His work focuses on environmental and occupational health, public policies, health surveillance, and vulnerable populations. At Brazil’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Buralli contributed to strengthening national surveillance policies for populations exposed to pesticides, asbestos, and other hazards, aiming to protect adult’s and children’s health and integrate actions across health care and surveillance systems.
Dr. Buralli first learned about ISCHE in 2018 from Carly Hyland during his internship at Berkeley. Since the Norway retreat, he has been an active member and became engaged in the Little Things Matter initiative. He also helped organize the Mexico and Los Angeles retreats. He was a Research to Action fellow in the first two years and currently serve as a facilitator for the year 3 with the LTM project.
Beyond ISCHE, he chairs the Latin America & Caribbean Chapter of ISEE (until 2026), mentor undergraduate and graduate students, and organize academic and outreach events. These experiences have strengthened his leadership skills and commitment to bridging research, policy, and practice.
As Early-Stage Councilor, Dr. Buralli aims to expand the engagement of early career investigators, foster capacity building and global collaborations, and strengthen ISCHE’s presence in Latin America. He is committed to advancing ISCHE’s mission by amplifying voices from underrepresented regions and ensuring healthier environments for all children.
COUNCIL MEMBER
Olivia Halabicky, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, University of Michigan School of Nursing/ School of Public Health
Dr. Halabicky’s passion for children’s environmental health began while working as a neonatal ICU nurse in Flint, Michigan during the city’s water crisis. Since then, her training and research has integrated nursing, environmental epidemiology, stress biology, and developmental sciences with a global focus.
She earned a master’s in nursing focused on child health and wellbeing at Trinity College Dublin and a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked with the Jintan China Child cohort to examine the neurodevelopmental impacts of lead exposure. Dr. Halabicky then completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in Environmental Toxicology and Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, conducting research with the ELEMENT cohort in Mexico City. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, with a joint appointment in the School of Public Health. My NIH/NIEHS K99/R00 award extends her work with ELEMENT, investigating prenatal heavy metal and psychosocial mixtures in relation to young-adult stress physiology and cardiometabolic health.
As an ISCHE Research to Action Fellow, she is eager to deepen my involvement by serving on the Board. In this role, she would focus on engaging members from a range of backgrounds and creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Her vision is to strengthen research-community partnerships and support research that not only prevents harmful exposures but also develops strategies to improve health outcomes for children who have already been exposed to environmental toxicants.
