Madeleine Scammell
Profiles

Madeleine L. Scammell, DSc

Associate Professor, Environmental Health - Boston University School of Public Health

(617) 358-2478
mls@bu.edu
Talbot - T438 WEST
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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

Websites

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

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