Summary
My research focuses on understanding how chemical exposures from our environment can influence the immune system, particularly during pregnancy. I gained interest in this field through experiences working with a cohort in Bangladesh, in which my research showed that heavy metal exposure during pregnancy may impair children's ability to mount effective vaccine responses. My current research assesses how maternal inflammation may mediate the influence of exposure to chemicals found in everyday consumer products. The goal of my ongoing work is to use innovative technologies and biostatistics to provide evidence about the maternal immune system responds to such chemical exposures, as well as how immunity influences pregnancy outcomes.
Research Interests
- Environmental epidemiology
- Maternal and child health
- Exposure to chemical mixtures
- Metabolomics
In the News
- 2022 NIEHS Papers of the year: Avoiding phthalates could prevent preterm births
- Preterm birth more likely with exposure to phthalates
- 2021 NIEHS Papers of the year: Oxylipins linked to exposure of consumer product chemicals
- 2020 NIEHS Papers of the year: Maternal fatty acids level associated with newborn size
- Arsenic Linked to Children’s Immune Function in Bangladesh
Publications
2022
- Bommarito PA, Cantonwine DE, Stevens DR, Welch BM, Davalos A, Zhao S, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. Fetal growth trajectories of babies born large-for-gestational-age in the LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2022. PMID: 36241081.
- Bommarito PA, Cantonwine DE, Stevens DR, Welch BM, Davalos A, Zhao S, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. An application of group-based trajectory modeling to define fetal growth phenotypes among SGA births in the LIFECODES Fetal Growth Study. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2022. PMID: 36027952.
- Welch BM, Keil AP, Buckley JP, Calafat AM, Christenbury K, Engel SM, O’Brien KM, Rosen E, Ferguson KK, and the Pooled Phthalate and Preterm Birth Study Group. Associations Between Prenatal Urinary Biomarkers of Phthalate Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Pooled Study of 16 US Cohorts. JAMA Pediatrics. 2022. PMID: 35816333.
- Welch BM, McNell EE**, Edin ML, Ferguson KK. Inflammation and oxidative stress as mediators of the impacts of environmental exposures on human pregnancy: Evidence from bioactive lipids. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2022. PMID: 35367517.
- Kuiper JR, O’Brien KM, Welch BM, Barrett ES, Nguyen RHN, Sathyanarayana S, Milne GL, Swan SH, Ferguson KK, Buckley JP. Combining urinary biomarker data from studies with different measures of urinary dilution. Epidemiology. 2022. PMID: 35473917.
- Eick SM, Geiger SD, Alshawabkeh A, Aung M, Barrett E, Bush NR, Cordero JF, Ferguson KK, Meeker JD, Milne GL, Nguyen RHN, Padula AM, Sathyanarayana S, Welch BM, Schantz SL, Woodruff TJ, Morello-Frosch R. Effects of social, biologic, and behavioral factors on biomarkers of oxidative stress during pregnancy: Findings from four ECHO cohorts. Science of the Total Environment. 2022. PMID: 35490822.
2021
- Welch BM, Keil AP, Bommarito PA, van T' Erve TJ, Deterding LJ, Williams JG, Lih FB, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. Longitudinal exposure to consumer product chemicals and changes in plasma oxylipins in pregnant women. Environment International. 2021. PMID:34314981. (NIEHS Intramural Paper of the Year)
- Bommarito PA, Welch BM, Keil AP, Baker GP, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF,
- Ferguson KK. Prenatal exposure to consumer product chemical mixtures and size for gestational age at delivery. Environmental Health. 2021. PMID:34314981.
- Andrews FV, Smit E, Welch BM, Ahmed SM, Kile ML. Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations and hepatitis B antibody serology in the United States(NHANES, 2003-2014). Environmental Research. 2021. PMID:33539830.
2020
- Welch BM, Keil A, van T' Erve TJ, Deterding LJ, Williams JG, Lih FB, Cantonwine DE, McElrath TF, Ferguson KK. Longitudinal profiles of plasma eicosanoids during pregnancy and size for gestational age at delivery: a nested case-control study. PLoS Medicine. 2020. PMID:32797061. (NIEHS Intramural Paper of the Year)
- Welch BM, Branscum A, Geldhof GJ, Ahmed SM, Hystad P, Smit E, Afroz S, Megowan M, Golam M, Sharif O, Rahman M, Quamruzzaman Q, Christiani DC, Kile ML. Evaluating the effects between metal mixtures and serum vaccine antibody concentrations in children: a prospective birth cohort study. Environmental Health. 2020. PMID:32276596.
- Ahmed SM, Branscum A, Welch BM, Megowan M, Bethel JW, Odden MC, Joya SA, Ibn Hasan MOS, Lin PI, Mostofa G, Quamruzzaman Q, Rahman M, Christiani DC, Kile ML. A prospective cohort study of in utero and early childhood arsenic exposure and infectious disease in 4- to 5-year-old Bangladeshi children. Environmental Epidemiology. 2020. PMID:32656486.
Previous
- Welch BM, Branscum A, Ahmed SM, Hystad P, Smit E, Afroz S, Megowan M, Golam M, Ibne Hasan MOS, Rahman ML, Quamruzzaman Q, Christiani DC, Kile ML. Arsenic exposure and serum antibody concentrations to diphtheria and tetanus toxoid in children at age 5: A prospective birth cohort in Bangladesh. Environment International. 2019. PMID:31051324.
- Welch BM, Smit E, Cardenas A, Hystad P, Kile ML. Trends in urinary arsenic among the U.S. population by drinking water source: Results from the National Health and Nutritional Examinations Survey 2003-2014. Environmental Research. 2018. PMID:29272814.
- Cardenas A, Smit E, Welch BM, Bethel J, Kile ML. Cross sectional association of arsenic and seroprevalence of hepatitis B infection in the United States (NHANES 2003-2014). Environmental Research. 2018. PMID:29966877.
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 2019-2022
- Ph.D., Public Health, Oregon State University, 2019
- M.P.H., Environmental & Occupational Health, Oregon State University, 2016
- B.S., Biology & B.A., Spanish, University of Nevada, Reno, 2013