Sophia Kwon, MPH, D.O.

We have been studying predictors of lung function loss in never smoking firefighters from the World Trade Center (WTC) exposed Fire Department of New York (FDNY) cohort. This well phenotyped group has pre-9/11/01 (9/11) clinical and spirometric data and continues to have serial post-9/11 assessments. Our group has demonstrated that mediators of metabolic syndrome, inflammation and vascular injury in serum sampled within 6 months of 9/11 are predictive of eventual abnormal lung function. Particulate matter exposure and metabolic syndrome are global health concerns. The interaction of these two exposures is a topic of considerable importance, and the pathways involved a significant focus of our work.