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David Rich, Sc.D., M.P.H.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Administrative: (585) 275-8784

Office: (585) 276-4119

Fax: (585) 461-4532

Faculty Appointments

Biography

Research

Dr. David Q. Rich is an environmental epidemiologist and a Professor in the Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medicine, and Environmental Medicine. He is also the Research Director of the Division of Epidemiology and the Director of the PhD and MS Programs in Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences. His primary research interests are the reproductive and cardiorespiratory health effects of ambient air pollution with particular interest in maternal air pollution exposure during pregnancy, effects on placental development and function, metabolic dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and any resulting effects on fetal growth and development. Dr. Rich also conducts accountability studies assessing the effects of air quality and environmental policies on air pollutant emissions, ambient pollutant concentrations, and morbidity and mortality in human populations in the United States and China. Some of this work has and is examining potential temporal changes in air pollution composition and toxicity in the United States, and any resulting cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. Over the past 2 years, Dr. Rich’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Health Effects Institute, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Dr. Rich also mentors PhD and MS Epidemiology students and teaches graduate and undergraduate epidemiology courses, including Advanced Epidemiology Methods (PM416), Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (PM470), and Concepts of Epidemiology (PHLT103)

Dr. Rich’s current research studies include:

1. Potential pathophysiologic mechanisms linking air pollution exposure during pregnancy to reduced fetal growth: a prospective cohort study of pregnant women living in Rochester, New York and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2. Long term monitoring of particle size distributions in Rochester, New York

3. Changes in air pollution particulate matter composition in New York State and triggering of acute cardiovascular, respiratory, and respiratory infectious disease hospital admissions, and triggering of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an accountability study

4. Environmental and health benefits of mobile source and electricity generating unit
policies to reduce particulate pollution in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles: an accountability study

Credentials

Education

1994
B.S. | Rutgers University, Cook College
Public Health

1999
M.P.H. | University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health
Epidemiology & Quantitative Methods

2004
Sc.D. | Harvard School of Public Health
Epidemiology & Environmental Health

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

2004 - 2005
Post-Doctoral Fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Aging

2004 - 2005
Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health

Awards

2015
George H. Cook Distinguished Alumni Award
Sponsor: Distinguished Alumni Award
Location: Rutgers University, Cook College Alumni Association

2014
Best Environmental Epidemiology Paper of 2013
Sponsor: International Society of Environmental Epidemiology

2009
Excellence in Teaching Award
Sponsor: UMDNJ (now Rutgers), School of Public Health Student Government

1994
B.S. (with Honors)
Sponsor: Rutgers University, Cook College
Location: New Brunswick, NJ

1993 - 1994
George H. Cook Scholar (B.S.)
Sponsor: Rutgers University, Cook College
Location: Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ

1990 - 1994
General Honors Program (B.S.)
Sponsor: Rutgers University, Cook College
Location: New Brunswick, NJ

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Publications

Journal Articles

2023
Croft DP, Utell MJ, Rich DQ. "Can long-term residential air cleaning reduce cardiovascular morbidity in COPD patients". American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2023; 207(6): 651-653.

2023
Wang Y, Du, Z, Zhang Y, Chen S, Xu L, Lin S, Rich DQ, Zhang K, Romeiko X, Deng X, Qu Y, Liu Y, Lin Z, Zhu S, Zhang W, Hao Y. "Long-term exposure to particulate matter and COPD mortality: insights from causal inference methods based on a large population cohort in southern China". Science for the Total Environment. 2023; 863: 160808.

2023
Trechera P, Garcia-Marlès M, Liu X, Reche C, Pérez N, Savadkoohi M, Beddows D, Salma I, Vörösmarty M, Casans A, Casquero-Vera JA, Hueglin C, Marchand N, Chazeau B, Gille G, Kalkavouras P, Mihalopoulos N, Ondracek J, Zikova N, Niemi JV, Manninen HE, Green DC, Tremper AH, Norman M, Vratolis S, Eleftheriadis K, Gómez-Moreno FJ, Alonso-Blanco E, Gerwig H, Wiedensohler A, Weinhold K, Merkel M, Bastian S, Petit JE, Favez O, Crumeyrolle S, Ferlay N, Dos Santos SM, Putaud JP, Timonen J, Asbach C, Wolf C, Kamin. "Phenomenology of ultrafine particle concentrations and size distribution across urban Europe". Environment International. 2023; 172: 107744.

Books & Chapters

2014
Chapter Title: Indoor and outdoor pollution
Book Title: Fishman's Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders
Author List: Rich DQ, Samet JM, Utell MJ
Edited By: Grippi MA, Elias JA, Fishman JA, Pack AI, Senior RM, Kotloff R
Published By: McGraw-Hill 2014 in New York

2014
Chapter Title: Evaluating Alternative Exposure Metrics Used for Multipollutant Air Quality and Human Health Studies.
Book Title: Steyn DG, Builtjes PJH, Timmermans RMA (eds): Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXII - NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security
Author List: Ozkaynak H, Isakov V, Baxter L, Graham SE, Sarnat SE, Sarnat J, Mulholland J, Turpin B, Rich DQ, Lunden M
Published By: Springer Netherlands 2014

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