Center for Global Health Faculty

Professor

Division of Environmental Health Engineering, Director Industrial Hygiene Program

Academic Degrees

• PhD
• MHS

Departmental Affiliation

• Name:

  Environmental Health Sciences

  Affiliation Type:

  Primary

  Division:

  Environmental Health Engineering

Departmental Address

Contact Information

Email:

pbreysse+jhsph.edu

Phone:

410.955.3608

Fax:

410.955.9334

Link:

SciVal Experts Research Profile

Research and Professional Experience

Dr. Breysse is currently the Director of the Division of Environmental Health Engineering and is the Director of the ABET accredited Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Academic Program. He is also the Director the Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment. His research focuses on the evaluation and control of chemical, biological, and physical factors that can impact health or well being. In this context, Dr. Breysse's research concentrates on risk/exposure assessment. Exposure assessment research includes pollutant source characterization, exposure measurement and interpretation, development and use of biomarkers of exposure/dose/effect, and evaluating relationships between sources, exposures, doses and disease.

Dr. Breysse's research currently includes studies of indoor and outdoor air pollution and childhood asthma. He is also researching secondhand smoke exposure assessment methods using airborne and hair nicotine.

Dr. Breysse previously collaborated on a large health effects study evaluating the health impact of the 1990 Gulf War on the citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has also collaborated on a follow-up study of World Trade Center clean-up workers.

Dr. Breysse co-directed a medical screening program for former Department of Energy Workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This program offers screening to former atomic bomb workers based on a historical assessment of exposure to a wide variety of agents including ionizing radiation, beryllium, solvents, asbestos, lead, and noise. He is currently working on a project to extend the former workers program to Sandia National Laboratory.

Keywords

Environmental Health Sciences, industrial hygiene, exposure assessment, pollution, childhood asthma, environmental epidemiology

Honors and Awards

Meritorious Achievement Award, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 2006

Leader People-to People professional exchange in Occupational and Environmental Health in South Africa, 2004

Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society inductee, 2003

Phi Beta Kappa, 1978

Selected Publications

1. Hansel NN, Matsui EC, Rusher R, McCormack MC, Curtin-Brosnan J, Peng RD, Mazique D, Breysse PN, Diette GB.  Predicting future asthma morbidity in preschool inner-city children.   J Asthma. 2011 Oct;48(8):797-803. Epub 2011 Aug 23.  PMID:21861602  
2. Williams DL, Breysse PN, McCormack MC, Diette GB, McKenzie S, Geyh AS.  Airborne cow allergen, ammonia and particulate matter at homes vary with distance to industrial scale dairy operations: an exposure assessment.  Environ Health. 2011 Aug 12;10:72.  PMID:21838896 PMCID: 3184623     
3. Butz AM, Matsui EC, Breysse P, Curtin-Brosnan J, Eggleston P, Diette G, Williams D, Yuan J, Bernert JT, Rand C.  A randomized trial of air cleaners and a health coach to improve indoor air quality for inner-city children with asthma and secondhand smoke exposure.  Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011  Aug;165(8):741-8. Erratum in: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011 Sep;165(9):791. PMID:21810636      
4. Robinson CL, Baumann LM, Romero K, Combe JM, Gomez A, Gilman RH, Cabrera L, Gonzalvez G, Hansel NN, Wise RA, Barnes KC, Breysse PN, Checkley W.  Effect of urbanisation on asthma, allergy and airways inflammation in a developing country setting.  Thorax. 2011 Dec;66(12):1051-7. Epub 2011 Jul 5. PMID:21730351 
5. Noel S, Saams J, Ong MJ, Breysse P, Diette G, Biswal S, Matsui EC.  Opposing effects of nasal epithelial NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinine 1 and heme oxygenase 1 expression on upper and lower airway symptoms in adolescents with asthma.  J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 Aug;128(2):422-4.e3. Epub 2011 Apr 30. No abstract available. PMID:21531452                                              PMCID: 3169320 
6. McCormack MC, Breysse PN, Matsui EC, Hansel NN, Peng RD, Curtin-Brosnan J, Williams DL, Wills-Karp M, Diette GB; Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment. Indoor particulate matter increases asthma morbidity in children with non-atopic and atopic asthma.  Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2011 Apr;106(4):308-15. Epub 2011 Feb 26.  PMID:21457879  PMCID: 3118306 
7. Mazique D, Diette GB, Breysse PN, Matsui EC, McCormack MC, Curtin-Brosnan J, Williams DL, Peng RD, Hansel NN.  Predictors of airborne endotoxin concentrations in inner city homes.  Environ Res. 2011 May;111(4):614-7. Epub 2011 Mar 22.  PMID:21429483  PMCID: 3085396 
8. Shahrir S, Wipfli H, Avila-Tang E, Breysse PN, Samet JM, Navas-Acien A; FAMRI Bar Study Investigators.  Tobacco sales and promotion in bars, cafes and nightclubs from large cities around the world.  Tob Control. 2011 Jul;20(4):285-90. Epub 2011 Feb 17.  PMID:21330317 
9. Baumann LM, Robinson CL, Combe JM, Gomez A, Romero K, Gilman RH, Cabrera L, Hansel NN, Wise RA, Breysse PN, Barnes K, Hernandez JE, Checkley W.  Effects of distance from a heavily transited avenue on asthma and atopy in a periurban shantytown in Lima, Peru.  J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 Apr;127(4):875-82. Epub 2011 Jan 14.  PMID:21237505  PMCID: 3227546   
10. Bezemer GF, Bauer SM, Oberdörster G, Breysse PN, Pieters RH, Georas SN, Williams MA. Activation of pulmonary dendritic cells and Th2-type inflammatory responses on instillation of engineered, environmental diesel emission source or ambient air pollutant particles in vivo.  J Innate Immun. 2011;3(2):150-66. Epub 2010 Nov 23.  PMID:21099199  PMCID: 3072202 
11. Barnoya J, Arvizu M, Jones MR, Hernandez JC, Breysse PN, Navas-Acien A.  Secondhand smoke exposure in bars and restaurants in Guatemala City: before and after smoking ban evaluation. Cancer Causes Control. 2011 Jan;22(1):151-6. Epub 2010 Nov 3.  PMID:21046446 
12. Agbenyikey W, Wellington E, Gyapong J, Travers MJ, Breysse PN, McCarty KM, Navas-Acien A. Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure in selected public places (PM2.5 and air nicotine) and non-smoking employees (hair nicotine) in Ghana.   Tob Control. 2011 Mar;20(2):107-11. Epub 2010 Oct 7.  PMID:20930057  PMCID: 3045526 
13. Sidhaye VK, Chau E, Breysse PN, King LS.  Septin-2 mediates airway epithelial barrier function in physiologic and pathologic conditions. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2011 Jul;45(1):120-6. Epub 2010 Sep 24.  PMID:20870893 PMCID: 3145065 
14. Erazo M, Iglesias V, Droppelmann A, Acuña M, Peruga A, Breysse PN, Navas-Acien A. Secondhand tobacco smoke in bars and restaurants in Santiago, Chile: evaluation of partial smoking ban legislation in public places.  Tob Control. 2010 Dec;19(6):469-74. Epub 2010 Aug 25.PMID:20798021  PMCID: 2991072 
15. Lunn R, Jahnke G, Spencer D, Jameson CW, Garner S, Atwood S, Carter G, Ewens A, Greenwood D, Ratcliffe J, Breysse P, Muhle H, Reinhard C; National Toxicology Program.  Final report on carcinogens background document for glass wool fibers.  Rep Carcinog Backgr Doc. 2009 Sep;(9-5980):i-280.  PMID:20737004    
16. Rule AM, Geyh AS, Ramos-Bonilla JP, Mihalic JN, Margulies JD, Polyak LM, Kesavan J, Breysse PN. Design and characterization of a sequential cyclone system for the collection of bulk particulate matter.  J Environ Monit. 2010 Oct 6;12(10):1807-14. Epub 2010 Jul 30.  PMID:20676427 
17. Vinnikov D, Brimkulov N, Shahrir S, Breysse P, Navas-Acien A.  Excessive exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke among hospitality workers in Kyrgyzstan.   Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Mar;7(3):966-74. Epub 2010 Mar 10.  PMID:20617012  PMCID: 2782311 
18. Breysse PN, Navas-Acien A.  The smoking gun: working to eliminate tobacco smoke exposure.  J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2010 Jul;20(5):397-8. No abstract available.   PMID:20562882 
19. Blanco-Marquizo A, Goja B, Peruga A, Jones MR, Yuan J, Samet JM, Breysse PN, Navas-Acien A.  Reduction of secondhand tobacco smoke in public places following national smoke-free legislation in Uruguay.  Tob Control. 2010 Jun;19(3):231-4. 
20. Breysse PN, Diette GB, Matsui EC, Butz AM, Hansel NN, McCormack MC.  Indoor air pollution and asthma in children.  Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2010 May;7(2):102-6. Review.  PMID:20427579  PMCID: 3266016