Angela Aherrera is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and received her doctoral and post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As an environmental epidemiologist, her research focuses on environmental hazards and understanding their role in the development of adverse respiratory outcomes.
Dr. Aherrera’s main research project investigates the exposure and toxicity of chemical constituents of concern, namely metals and aldehydes, in electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) that are popularly used among youth and young adults. She is currently enrolling participants to examine the impact of vaping as well as the role that these chemicals play on respiratory health. Findings from her study may inform the FDA in reducing unwanted chemical exposure and preventing nicotine addiction and other negative health effects from vaping.
Other research interests of hers include airborne microplastics. She was awarded NIOSH pilot funding and is currently assessing occupational exposures to microfibers, the most dominant type of microplastic in the environment, among garment industry workers. Future work includes method development of microfibers representative of what is seen in indoor environments and how inhalation of these hazards impacts the general population, namely children and pregnant women.
Dr. Aherrera is on the Early Career Researcher Initiative Advisory Panel of Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) and is a member of the NIEHS funded Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET). She is also a member of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), International Society of Exposure Science (ISES), and the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).