Career Development Program: 2026-2027 Center Scientists
Career Development Homepage
Kimberley Sala-Hamrick, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Environmental Health Sciences
Kimberley Sala-Hamrick, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Under the mentorship of Dana Dolinoy, Sala-Hamrick studies how early-life environmental exposures contribute to later disease risk. As an M-LEEaD Center Scientist, she will investigate how developmental lead exposure alters gene expression and epigenetic regulation in human heart cells, with the goal of better understanding the molecular mechanisms linking early-life lead exposure to cardiovascular disease later in life.
Talia Sternbach, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Epidemiology
Talia Sternbach, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with Carina Gronlund and Jennifer Head at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on the health impacts of climate-related environmental exposures among older adults and interventions that may alleviate associated health burdens. As an M-LEEaD Center Scientist, Sternbach will examine how neighborhood social environments influence the relationship between extreme precipitation events and respiratory and mental health outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries across the United States. Her work aims to identify community-level factors that promote resilience and inform public health strategies for vulnerable populations facing increasing extreme weather-related risks.
Tian Xia, PhD
Research Investigator, Environmental Health Sciences
Tian Xia, PhD, is a Research Investigator in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Under the mentorship of Stuart Batterman, Xia's research focuses on environmental exposure assessment and air quality monitoring. During his term as an M-LEEaD Center Scientist, he will work on the Gordie Howe International Bridge Air Quality Monitoring Project, using innovative monitoring approaches to characterize air pollution exposures and estimate associated health impacts in Southwest Detroit communities. His work will contribute to a better understanding of environmental health disparities and the effects of traffic-related air pollution in vulnerable populations.
Tian Xia, PhD’s profile
