Center for Global Health Faculty

Virginia Weaver

Associate Professor

Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Associate Faculty Member, Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research

Academic Degrees

Departmental Affiliation

Name:

Environmental Health Sciences

Affiliation Type:

Primary

Division:

Occupational and Environmental Health

Departmental Address

615 N. Wolfe St., W7513A Baltimore , MD 21205

Contact Information

Email:: vweaver+jhsph.edu
Phone:: 410-955-4355
Fax:: 410-955-1811
Link:: Personal Website
Link:: SciVal Experts Research Profile

Research and Professional Experience

Dr. Weaver’s research interests involve the use of molecular epidemiology tools in the evaluation of populations exposed to occupational and environmental chemicals. The validation of exposure and early biological effect markers to improve clinical evaluation and medical surveillance is a primary focus. Identification of susceptible populations is an additional goal.

Her primary area of research is the impact of occupational and environmental toxicants on the kidney. Currently, she is studying clinical and early biological effect markers (urinary retinol-binding protein and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG)) for the renal system in lead workers in South Korea. This longitudinal study is evaluating the effects of lead and cadmium exposure on a range of renal outcomes. Interaction with genetic susceptibility factors and chronic diseases, such as hypertension, is also a focus in this work. She has also studied biomarkers for benzene exposure in urban populations, including children.

Dr. Weaver’s clinical activities also involve biomarker applications, thus complimenting her research. These activities have included management of a medical surveillance program for cadmium exposed workers in which blood and urine cadmium and beta-2 microglobulin were monitored. In addition, she was a co-investigator in a medical surveillance program for former workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This project involves workers with many previous exposures and uses the lymphocyte proliferation test to assess for presence of sensitization from previous beryllium exposure.

Keywords

environmental nephrotoxicants, lead, retinol-binding protein, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), cadmium, molecular epidemiology, medical surveillance, occupational and environmental chemical exposures, biomarkers

Honors and Awards

Magna cum laude, University of Rochester, 1980 Phi Beta Kappa, University of Rochester, 1980 Recipient, Occupational Physicians Scholarship Fund Award, 1990-92 Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society - Alpha Chapter, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene, 1991 Ho-Ching Yang Memorial Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention, 1995, AMTRA (Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award), Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Student Assembly, 2009, Teaching Excellence for "Clinical Environmental and Occupational Toxicology", 2009-current

Selected Publications

Weaver, VM and Fadrowski JF. The Environment and Kidney Disease in Children. In: Landrigan PJ and Etzel RA (eds.) The Oxford Textbook of Environmental Pediatrics: Environmental Influences on Health, Development and Disease. Oxford University Press. New York, New York, 2013 (In Press).

Shelley R, Kim N-S, Parsons P, Lee B-K, Jaar B, Fadrowski J, Agnew J, Matanoski GM, Schwartz BS, Steuerwald A, Todd A, Simon D, Weaver VM. Associations of multiple metals with kidney outcomes in lead workers. Occ Environ Med. 2012;69:727–735. doi:10.1136/oemed-2012-100765.

Weaver VM, Fadrowski J, and Jaar BG. Does calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CaEDTA) slow chronic kidney disease progression? (Invited editorial) Am J Kidney Dis. 2012;60(4):503-506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2012.07.006

Weaver VM, Kim N-S, Lee B-K, Parsons PJ, Spector J, Fadrowski J, Jaar BG, Steuerwald AJ, Todd AC, Simon D, and Schwartz BS. Differences in urine cadmium associations with kidney outcomes based on serum creatinine and cystatin C. Environ Res. 2011;111:1236–1242. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2011.07.012.

Spector J, Navas-Acien A, Fadrowski J, Guallar E, Jaar BG, Weaver VM. Associations of blood lead with estimated glomerular filtration rate using MDRD, CKD-EPI and serum cystatin C-based equations. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 2011; 26: 2786–2792 doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfq773.

Weaver VM, Kim N-S, Jaar BG, Schwartz BS, Parsons PJ, Steuerwald AJ, Todd AC, Simon D, and Lee B-K. Associations of low-level urine cadmium with kidney function in lead workers. Occ Environ Med. 2011;68:250-256. doi: 10.1136/oem.2010.056077

Weaver VM and Jaar BG. Lead nephropathy and lead-related nephrotoxicity. In: UpToDate. Basow, DS (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA. 2009.

Navas-Acien A, Tellez-Plaza M, Guallar E, Muntner P, Silbergeld EK, Jaar BG, Weaver VM. Blood cadmium and lead and chronic kidney disease in US adults: A joint analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 2009;170:1156-64 doi: 10.1093/aje/kwp248. PMCID: PMC2781739

Weaver VM, Griswold M, Todd AC, Jaar BG, Ahn K-D, Thompson CB, Lee B-K. Longitudinal associations between lead dose and renal function in lead workers. Env Res. 2009 Jan;109(1):101-7. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2008.09.005

Weaver VM, Ellis LR, Lee B-K, Todd AC, Shi W, Ahn K-D, and Schwartz BS. Associations between patella lead and blood pressure in lead workers. Am J Ind Med. 2008;51:336-343.

Ekong E, Jaar BG, and Weaver VM. Lead-related nephrotoxicity: A review of the epidemiologic evidence. Kidney International. 2006. doi:10.1038/sj.ki.5001809

Weaver VM. Section 6.4 (pp 6-88 to 6-113): “Renal Effects of Lead” in U.S. EPA. Air Quality Criteria for Lead (Final). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-05/144aF-bF, 2006.

Weaver VM, Lee B-K, Todd AC, Jaar BG, Ahn K-D, Wen J, Shi W, Parsons PJ, and Schwartz BS. Associations of patella lead and other lead biomarkers with renal function in lead workers. J Occup Environ Med. 2005;47:235-243.

Weaver VM, Jaar BG, Schwartz BS, Todd AC, Ahn K-D, Lee S-S, Wen J, Parsons PJ, and Lee B-K. Associations among lead dose biomarkers, uric acid, and renal function in Korean lead workers. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113:36-42.

Weaver VM, Schwartz BS, Ahn K-D, Stewart WF, Kelsey KT, Todd AC, Wen J, Simon DJ, Lustberg M, Parson PJ, Silbergeld E, Lee B-K. Associations of renal function with polymorphisms in the delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, vitamin D receptor, and nitric oxide synthase genes in Korean lead workers. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111:1613–1619.

Weaver VM, Lee B-K, Ahn K-D, Lee G-S, Todd AC, Stewart WF, Wen J, Simon DJ, Parson PJ, Schwartz BS. Associations of lead biomarkers with renal function in Korean lead workers. Occup Environ Med. 2003;60:551-562.

Breysse PN, Weaver VM, Cadorette M, Wiggs L, Curbow B, Stefaniak A, Melius J, Newman L, Smith H, and Schwartz BS. Development of a medical examination program for former workers at a Department of Energy national laboratory. Am J Ind Med. 2002;42:443-454.

Weaver VM, Buckley T, Groopman JD. Lack of specificity of trans, trans-muconic acid as a benzene biomarker after ingestion of sorbic acid-preserved foods. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 2000;9:749-755.

Weaver VM, Buckley TJ, Groopman JD. Approaches to environmental exposure assessment in children. Environ Health Perspect. 1998;106(Suppl 3):827-832.

Weaver VM and Austin-Dailey VM. Pharmaceuticals. In: Frazier LM, Hage M, eds. Reproductive Hazards of the Workplace. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold;1997:289-311.

McDiarmid MA, Presson AC, Weaver VM, Fujikawa J. Controlling occupational exposure to hazardous drugs. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 1996;53:1669-1685.

Weaver VM, Davoli CT, Heller P, Fitzwilliam A, Peters H, Sunyer J, Murphy SE, Goldstein G, and Groopman JD. Benzene exposure, assessed by urinary trans,trans-muconic acid, in urban children with elevated blood lead levels. Environ Health Perspect.1996;104:318-323.

Weaver VM, Davoli CT, Murphy SE, Sunyer J, Heller PJ, Colosimo SG, and Groopman JD. Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Inner-city Children. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention. 1996;5:135-137.