Anna Pollack
George Mason University, VA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It affects 6–11% of premenopausal women, causing pain and infertility, and its causes are poorly understood.
- Fields
Public Health & Epidemiology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Earth & Environmental Science
- Topics
endometriosis
endocrine disrupting chemicals
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Nov 2026
What they work on
- Test whether higher levels of PFASs, POPs and their mixtures in healthy uterine (eutopic endometrial) tissue are associated with new endometriosis diagnoses among 495 women in the ENDO Study operative cohort.
- Determine how levels of these pollutants in endometriosis lesions (ectopic endometrial tissue) relate to disease severity.
- Assess whether mixtures of PFASs and POPs measured across serum, adipose tissue and uterine tissue are associated with endometriosis incidence.
- Develop a model that predicts the PFAS and POP dose in uterine tissue from serum levels, for use in studies that cannot collect tissue.
More about the research
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pollutants that interfere with hormones and to which nearly everyone is exposed, may play a role. Most studies, however, measure these chemicals in blood rather than in the tissue where the disease develops. This project measures pollutants directly in uterine and endometriosis tissue, and asks whether higher levels are linked to developing endometriosis and to more severe disease.
Why it matters
Endometriosis causes pain, infertility and billions of dollars in U.S. health care costs. By measuring PFASs and persistent pollutants directly in uterine tissue, this study could clarify whether everyday chemical exposures contribute to the disease. It may also give policymakers evidence on these chemicals. The blood-to-tissue prediction model could help future studies that only have blood samples.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
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Lesliam Quiros-Alcala
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Determine whether hairstylists' exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including phthalates, their replacements and VOCs, are associated with menstrual cycle length, in salons primarily serving women of color.
The school
George Mason University: 15 labs on PI Pages, $282M a year on research, 297 research doctorates a year.
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