Maria J Rosa, DrPH

María José Rosa, DrPH, is an environmental epidemiologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is also a member of the Institute for Exposomic Research which studies the effects of environmental exposures on health and development throughout the lifespan.

Dr. Rosa is experienced in the analysis of ambient air pollution measures, respiratory health metrics, and the implementation of respiratory projects on a global scale. Her current research focuses on the role of both prenatal and early life social (e.g., psychosocial stress) and physical (e.g., air pollution, metals) environmental factors impacting children’s respiratory health. Her current R01-funded project aims to investigate the impact of early-life metal exposure on lung growth trajectories in adolescence, as well as the potential mediating role of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment, and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) study in Mexico City. This project will generate novel insights into the effects of in utero and early-life metal exposure on lung function and inform prevention and treatment strategies to improve lung function trajectories that will have lifelong impacts. Dr Rosa is also the principal investigator of the PROGRESS U24 cohort maintenance grant in which the exposomic research framework of the cohort will be expanded to include the indoor/home and social environment. Dr. Rosa also serves as director of the P30 Pilot Center Core, which awards pilot grants annually to Mount Sinai researchers and serves as career development pipeline for early-stage investigators.

Prior to her faculty appointment at Mount Sinai, Dr. Rosa completed two postdoctoral fellowships in the department, including in pediatric environmental health and another in occupational and environmental medicine and received a K99/R00 Career Transition award.