
Madeleine L. Scammell, DSc
Associate Professor, Environmental Health - Boston University School of Public Health
Biography
Dr. Scammell is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health and a JPB Environmental Health Fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. Her expertise is in the area of community-driven and community-based participatory research and includes the use of qualitative methods in the area of environmental health and epidemiologic studies. In 2017 Dr. Scammell was awarded an NIEHS/NIH Outstanding New Environmental Scientist award, establishing the Mesoamerican Nephropathy Occupational Study (MANOS), longitudinal study of agricultural workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua. These efforts are focused on identifying and preventing exposures that may contribute to the epidemic of chronic kidney disease in Central America known as Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN), specifically extreme heat and physical exertion, exposure to the herbicide glyphosate, and heavy metals. In 2021 Dr. Scammell was awarded a U01 to establish a Field Epidemiology Site as part of the NIDDK/NIEHS/Fogarty Institute CURE Consortium studying chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology in agricultural communities. Both studies are part of the Boston University Research Group for the study of Chronic Kidney Disease in Central America and include long term research relationships with investigators in both El Salvador and Nicaragua.
In Massachusetts, Dr. Scammell leads the Local Public Health Institute out of BUSPH, with funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In her own neighborhoods, Dr. Scammell co-leads the Chelsea & East Boston Heat Study, C-HEAT, examining exposure to heat and poor air quality, where we live, work and play. This is in partnership with GreenRoots, Chelsea, a grassroots environmental justice organization. Dr. Scammell led the Community Engagement Cores of two research centers: The Boston University Superfund Research Center (funded by NIEHS/NIH), and the Center for Research on Social and Environmental Stressors in Housing across the Lifecourse (joint center between Boston University and Harvard-Chan School of Public Health funded by NIMHD/NIH and EPA). She continues to develop and support mechanisms to initiate and sustain long-and short-term research relationships between community groups and scientists, and respond to community requests for scientific assistance. Dr. Scammell partners with Alternatives for Community & Environment, Boston Housing Authority, the Boston Public Health Commission. Dr. Scammell served of the Board of Health in the City of Chelsea for 10 years, and currently serves as Chair of the board of directors of the Science & Environmental Health Network. She teaches an upper level course, PH 801, Community-Engaged Research: Theory, application and methods, and previously taught Environmental Health Science, Law and Policy (EH 805) and Foundations of Environmental Health (EH 717). In 2014 Dr. Scammell co-edited with Charles Levenstein, The Toxic Schoolhouse, published by Baywood Press (now Routledge).
Education
- Boston University School of Public Health, DSc Field of Study: Environmental Health
- University of Vermont, BA Field of Study: Environmental Studies
Publications
- Published on 9/7/2023
Chen F, Chen JT, Hart JE, Coull BA, Scammell MK, Chu MT, Adamkiewicz G. Disparities in joint exposure to environmental and social stressors in, urban households in greater Boston. Environ Res. 2023 Sep 07; 117104. PMID: 37689339.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 4/12/2023
Petropoulos ZE, Keogh SA, Jarquín E, López-Pilarte D, Amador Velázquez JJ, García-Trabanino R, Amador Sánchez MR, Guevara R, Gruener A, Allen DR, Leibler JH, Delgado IS, McClean MD, Friedman DJ, Brooks DR, Scammell MK. Heat stress and heat strain among outdoor workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2023 Jul; 33(4):622-630. PMID: 37041408.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 2/22/2023
Raines NH, Leone DA, O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Ramirez-Rubio O, Amador JJ, Lopez Pilarte D, Delgado IS, Leibler JH, Embade N, Gil-Redondo R, Bruzzone C, Bizkarguenaga M, Scammell MK, Parikh SM, Millet O, Brooks DR, Friedman DJ. Metabolic Features of Increased Gut Permeability, Inflammation, and Altered Energy Metabolism Distinguish Agricultural Workers at Risk for Mesoamerican Nephropathy. Metabolites. 2023 Feb 22; 13(3). PMID: 36984765.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 2/22/2023
Raines NH, Leone DA, O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Ramirez-Rubio O, Amador JJ, Lopez Pilarte D, Delgado IS, Leibler JH, Embade N, Gil-Redondo R, Bruzzone C, Bizkarguenaga M, Scammell MK, Parikh SM, Millet O, Brooks DR, Friedman DJ. Metabolic Features of Increased Gut Permeability, Inflammation, and Altered Energy Metabolism Distinguish Agricultural Workers at Risk for Mesoamerican Nephropathy. Metabolites. 2023 Feb 22; 13(3). PMID: 36984765.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 12/10/2022
Milando CW, Black-Ingersoll F, Heidari L, López-Hernández I, de Lange J, Negassa A, McIntyre AM, Martinez MPB, Bongiovanni R, Levy JI, Kinney PL, Scammell MK, Fabian MP. Mixed methods assessment of personal heat exposure, sleep, physical activity, and heat adaptation strategies among urban residents in the Boston area, MA. BMC Public Health. 2022 Dec 10; 22(1):2314. PMID: 36496371.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 11/9/2022
Leibler JH, Keogh SA, Jarquín E, Garcia-Trabanino R, Velázquez JJA, Pilarte DL, Beltran M, Delgado IS, Petropoulos ZE, Friedman DJ, Brooks DR, Scammell MK. COVID-19 and CKD: Employment, Food Security and Healthcare in El Salvador. Ann Glob Health. 2022; 88(1):101. PMID: 36415326.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 7/13/2022
Black-Ingersoll F, de Lange J, Heidari L, Negassa A, Botana P, Fabian MP, Scammell MK. . A Literature Review of Cooling Center, Misting Station, Cool Pavement and Cool Roof Intervention Evaluations. Atmosphere. 2022; 13(7):1103.
- Published on 7/12/2022
Tomsho KS, Polka E, Chacker S, Queeley D, Alvarez M, Scammell MK, Emmons KM, Rudd RE, Adamkiewicz G. A process for creating data report-back tools to improve equity in environmental health. Environ Health. 2022 Jul 12; 21(1):67. PMID: 35821055.
Read At: PubMed
- Published on 7/11/2022
McIntyre A, Scammell MK, Botana Martinez P, Heidari L, Negassa A, Bongiovanni R, Fabian MP. . Facilitators and Barriers for Keeping Cool in an Urban Heat Island: Perspectives from Residents of an Environmental Justice Community. Environmental Justice. 2022.
Read At: Custom
- Published on 7/7/2022
Keogh SA, Leibler JH, Sennett Decker CM, Amador Velázquez JJ, Jarquin ER, Lopez-Pilarte D, Garcia-Trabanino R, Delgado IS, Petropoulos ZE, Friedman DJ, Amador Sánchez MR, Guevara R, McClean MD, Brooks DR, Scammell MK. High prevalence of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology among workers in the Mesoamerican Nephropathy Occupational Study. BMC Nephrol. 2022 07 07; 23(1):238. PMID: 35794550.
Read At: PubMed
View 88 more publications:View Full Profile at BUMC
News & In the Media
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Published on July 28, 2023
How Researchers Hope to Combat Urban Heat Island Effect in Boston
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Published on November 1, 2022
Stepping Up: Reducing the Adverse Health Impacts and Inequalities of Climate Change
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Published on October 24, 2022
How Pavement Can Help Cool Overheated Cities, Even in Chilly Mass.
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Published on July 14, 2022
Amid Climate Change, SPH Researchers Study Chelsea’s ‘Heat Island’
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Published on July 8, 2022
Amid Climate Change, BU Researchers Study Chelsea’s “Heat Island”
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Published on May 24, 2022
A Block in Massachusetts Is the Test Site for Ways to Cool Cities in the Summer
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Published on May 12, 2022
In Chelsea, Cooling an Urban Heat Island One Block at a Time
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Published on April 21, 2022
Activists Work to Cool Down Sweltering ‘Heat Island’ near Boston
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Published on February 4, 2022
Communities of Color Get More Gas Leaks, Slower Repairs, Says Study
- Published on November 4, 2021
- Published on October 28, 2021
- Published on September 2, 2021
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Published on July 1, 2021
With Extreme Heat Increasingly in the Forecast, How Can We Adapt?
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Published on June 28, 2021
As Temperatures Set Records, Heat Exposure Hits Some Neighborhoods Harder Than Others
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Published on April 30, 2021
Documentary Amplifies Voices of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients in Nicaragua
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Published on April 30, 2021
Study: Northeastern U.S. Has Widest Tree Cover Disparities in the Country
- Published on March 3, 2021
- Published on October 28, 2020
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Published on June 8, 2020
Dead and Dying Trees Have More Methane in Their Soil, Study Finds
- Published on May 26, 2020
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Published on May 21, 2020
Tree Deaths in Urban Settings Are Linked to Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines below Streets
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Published on May 15, 2020
Faculty, Staff, and Student to Be Honored at 2020 Convocation
- Published on April 30, 2020
- Published on February 28, 2020
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Published on December 5, 2019
Potentially Harmful Air Contamination from New Bedford Harbor
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Published on December 5, 2019
Airborne PCBs near New Bedford Harbor Pose Health Risks, Study Finds
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Published on December 5, 2019
Airborne PCBs near New Bedford Harbor Said Bad for Public Health
- Published on December 3, 2019
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Published on November 14, 2019
Excessive Idling by Encore Boston Harbor Shuttles Sparks Lawsuit Threat
- Published on July 11, 2019
- Published on July 11, 2019
- Published on June 27, 2019
- Published on March 18, 2019
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Published on March 15, 2019
Central American Kidney Disease Epidemic Linked to Occupational Heat Exposure
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Published on March 14, 2019
Central American Kidney Disease Epidemic Linked to Occupational Heat Exposure
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Published on July 6, 2018
Promotions to Associate Professor Go to 16 on Medical Campus
- Published on October 24, 2017
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Published on July 3, 2017
Continuing Search for Causes of Kidney Disease in Central America
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Published on April 10, 2017
Professor Recognized for Research into El Salvador’s Kidney Disease Epidemic
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Published on March 9, 2017
New Bedford Harbor Identified as Major Source of Airborne PCBs
- Published on February 23, 2017
- Published on April 25, 2016
- Published on October 7, 2015
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Published on July 31, 2015
BUSRP Report Highlights Interaction Between Scientists and Activists
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Published on March 12, 2015
Link Between Cardiovascular Risks and ‘Ultrafine’ Particle Pollution
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Published on February 2, 2015
Study Finds Occupational Link in Kidney Disease Epidemic among Sugarcane Workers
- Published on November 10, 2014