Assistant Professor
Division of Environmental Health at Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
maxaung@usc.edu
Fellowship Project: PFAS exposures, social factors, and bioactive lipid pathways to estimate antecedent risk profiles of depressive symptoms
Dr. Max Aung is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Health at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also co-director of the EH MATTERS program at USC. Dr. Aung is an alumnus of the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellowship as well as the RWJF Health Policy Research Scholars Fellowship. His research focuses on applying data science frameworks to understand potential mechanisms linking chemical mixtures to health across the life course and pursue environmental justice. He specifically integrates environmental exposures with multi-omics data and social determinants of health in diverse prospective cohorts to better understand mechanisms linking the human exposome to maternal and child health outcomes, including neurodevelopment and behavioral health.
Fellowship Project: PFAS exposures, social factors, and bioactive lipid pathways to estimate antecedent risk profiles of depressive symptoms
This study examines the economic and health impacts of perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, which affect 1 in 7 women in the US and incur over $14 billion in annual costs due to productivity loss, healthcare expenses, and associated maternal and infant health issues. Marginalized communities face higher depression rates, compounded by social adversities like poverty and lack of access to education and nutrition. Our research also explores the relationship between prenatal exposure to neurotoxic poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the risk of depression, as our team has uniquely identified. We focus on the role of bioactive lipids, which are influenced by PFAS and are critical in nervous system function, potentially contributing to depression. Our objective is to integrate data on PFAS exposure, socio-environmental factors, and bioactive lipid pathways to better understand the biological underpinnings and risk factors leading to depressive symptoms in this context.
