Dr. Sarah Rothenberg is an Associate Professor at Oregon State University. Her research examines how maternal exposure to environmental pollutants affects children’s neurodevelopment. More recently, she has integrated the gut microbiome as a potential modifier of environmental exposures. By focusing on environmental exposures and children’s neurodevelopment, her research will complement existing strengths in the Brain, Behavior, and the Environment program.

In her presentation, Dr. Rothenberg will discuss how maternal environmental exposures influence children's neurodevelopment, highlighting her research on prenatal methylmercury exposure through rice consumption in China and her NIH-funded work in Zambia examining the effects of maternal geophagy on the gut microbiome and fetal brain development. She will explore the role of environmental pollutants and the gut microbiome in shaping child health outcomes and share her vision for expanding research in children's environmental health, strengthening FIU's Brain, Behavior, and the Environment program, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and preparing the next generation of environmental health scientists.