Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D.

Dr. Swan is Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and a member of the NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Sciences Center. She has extensive experience conducting large multi-center pregnancy cohort studies that has investigated effects of environmental agents (including organic solvents, water disinfection byproducts, pesticides, plasticizers on time to pregnancy and infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, growth retardation), semen quality, steroids and gonadotropins, gender-related physical and behavior development. Since 1998, Dr. Swan has been Principal Investigator of the Study for Future Families, a multi-center pregnancy cohort study examining environmental causes of geographic variation in reproductive health endpoints in men, women and children. Dr. Swan was elected Chair of the 2008 Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors.

How to contact Dr. Swan:
E-mail: shanna_swan@urmc.rochester.edu
Telephone: (585) 273 3521

Research interests:
Environmental agents (including organic solvents, water disinfection bioproducts, pesticides, plasticizers and other endocrine disrupting chemicals) in relation to time to pregnancy and infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, growth retardation), semen quality, steroids and gonadotropins, gender-related physical and behavior development; epidemiological methods for these.

Current and recently funded research projects
US Study of Semen Quality in Partners of Pregnant Women (NIEHS)
The goal of this study is to compare semen quality, male serum hormones and time to pregnancy among four US cities. Conducted in collaboration with the European Commission.

Phthalates in Pregnant Women and Children (USEPA)
The major goal of this study is to examine the reproductive and developmental effects of in utero exposure to environmental exposure to phthalates.

Current-use pesticides: Assessing exposure and spermatotoxiocity (USEPA)
The major goal of this study is examine biomarkers of exposure to current use pesticides in fathers, pregnant women and their offspring in relation to the reproductive health of the family.

Current research and publications

Swan SH, Shaw GM, Schulman J. Reporting and selection bias in case-control studies of congenital malformations. Epidemiology 1992; 3(4):356-363.
Swan SH, Neutra RR, Wrensch M, Hertz-Picciotto I, Windham G, Fenster L, Epstein D, Deane M. Is drinking water related to spontaneous abortion? Reviewing the evidence from the California Department of Health Services studies. Epidemiology 1992; 3(2):83-93.
Thomas D, Petitti DB, Goldhaber M. Swan SH, Rappaport E, Hertz-Piccioto I. Reproductive outcomes in relation to malathion spraying in the San Francisco Bay area, 1981-1982. Epidemiology 1992 3(1); 32-39.
Wrensch MR, Swan SH, Lipscomb J, Epstein DM, Neutra RR, Fenster L. Spontaneous abortions and birth defects related to tap and bottled water use. Epidemiology 1992 3(2):98-103.
Swan SH, Beaumont JJ, Hammond SK, VonBehren J, Green R, Hallock MF, Woskie SR, Hines CJ, Schenker MB. Historical cohort study of spontaneous abortion among fabrication workers in the Semiconductor Health Study: agent-level analysis. Am J Ind Med 1995; 28(6): 751-769.
Swan SH, Forest W. Reproductive risks of glycol ethers and other agents used in semiconductor manufacturing. Occup Hygiene 1996; 2:373-385.
Swan SH, Elkin EP, Fenster L. Have sperm densities declined? A reanalysis of global trend data. Environmental Health Perspectives 1997; 105(11):1228-1232.
Swan SH, Waller K, Hopkins B, Windham G, Fenster L, Schaefer C, Neutra R. A prospective study of spontaneous abortion: relation to amount and source of drinking water consumed in early pregnancy. Epidemiology 1998; 9(2): 126-133.
Waller K, Swan SH, DeLorens G. Trihalomethanes in drinking water and spontaneous abortion. Epidemiology 1998: 9(2): 134-140.
Swan SH, Elkin EP, Fenster L. The question of declining sperm density revisited: an analysis of 101 studies published 1934-1996. Environmental Health Perspectives 2000; 108(10):961-966.
Swan SH. Long term human effects of prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol. APMIS 2000;108: 793-804..
Swan SH and Vom Saal FS. Alterations in male reproductive development: the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals. In: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Vol. 3M: endocrine disruptors (ed. by M. Metzler) Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2002, 131-170.
Swan SH. Brazil C, Drobnis EZ, Liu, F, Kruse RL, Hatch M, Redmon, JB, Wang C, Overstreet JW, and the Study for Future Families Research Group. Geographic differences in semen quality of fertile US males. Environmental Health Perspectives 2003; 111(4): 414-420.
Swan SH, Kruse R, Liu F, Barr D, Drobnis E, Redmon B, Wang C, Brazil C, Overstreet JW, and the Study for Future Families Research Group. Biomarkers of pesticide exposure in relation to and semen quality. Environmental Health Perspectives 2003; 111:1478-148.
Fenster L, Waller K, Windham G, Henneman T, Anderson M, Mendola P, Overstreet JW, Swan SH. Trihalomethane levels in home tap water and semen quality. Epidemiology 2003; 14(6):650-658.
Myers JP, Guillette LJ, Jr., Palanza P, Parmigiani S, Swan SH, Vom Saal FS. Endocrine disrupting chemicals. In: Ragaini RC, editor. International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies, 30th session: "E. Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Italy, 18-26 August 2003. River Edge, N.J.: World Scientific; 2004, 105-121.
Brazil C, Swan SH, Drobnis EZ, Liu F, Wang C, Redmon JB, Overstreet JW and the Study for Future Families Research Group. Standardized Methods for Semen Evaluation in a Multicenter Research Study. J Andrology 2004; 25:635-644.
Brazil C, Swan SH, Tollner CR, Treece C, Drobnis EZ, Wang C, Redmon JB, Overstreet JW and the Study for Future Families Research Group. Quality Control of Laboratory Methods for Semen Evaluation in a Multicenter Research Study. J Andrology 2004; 25: 645-656.
Swan SH. Your environment; your fertility: is there a link? In: INCIID A.R.T. Directory 2005. Arlington, VA: InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID); 2004. 13-19.
Slama R, Bouyer J, Windham G, Fenster L, Werwatz A, Swan SH. Influence of Paternal Age on the risk of spontaneous abortion. Am J Epidemiol. 2005 161(9):816-23.
Carlsen E, Swan SH, Petersen JH, Skakkebæk, Longitudinal changes in semen parameters in young Danish men from the Copenhagen area. Human Reprod. Hum Reprod. 2005. 20(4):942-9.
Swan SH, Main KM, Liu F, Stewart SL, Kruse RL, Calafat AM, Mao CS, Redmon JB, Ternand CL, Sullivan S, Teague JL, and the Study for Future Families Research Team. Decrease in anogenital distance among male infants with prenatal phthalate exposure. Environ Health Perspect, 2005. 113:1056–1061.

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Updated May 10, 2007