Kurunthachalam Kannan

Dr. Kurunthachalam Kannan is a well renowned environmental health researcher, with a focus on understanding human exposure to environmental and dietary chemicals. His research incorporates cutting-edge developments in analytical chemistry to detect organic chemicals in human and environmental specimens, and employs the concept of ‘exposome’ to measure the varied exposures and responses of the human body to its environment. Central to Dr. Kannan’s work is the biomonitoring of persistent organic compounds, endocrine disruptors, and emerging environmental chemicals to assess exposure and characterize human exposure pathways. His innovative and integrated approach seeks to elucidate the associations between these chemicals and health outcomes, ultimately contributing to the development of informed strategies for disease prevention and management.  He is the top most highly cited researcher (H-index >170) in the field of Environmental Health and has published over 950 peer-reviewed research papers. 

Research Interests 

A significant conceptual change has occurred in recent years in relation to how we think about health and diseases, the role the environment plays in disease etiology, and how best to assess human exposure to environmental and dietary chemicals. Our research is focused on environmental and biomonitoring studies designed to determine human exposure sources, pathways, and effects of organic contaminants. Biomonitoring is a powerful approach to assessing human exposure to toxic substances or their metabolites in human body fluids or tissues. 

Advances in analytical chemistry and toxicology have made it possible to discern biomarkers of exposure and health effects, which has led to the concept of ‘exposome’.   Exposome studies measurements of exposures from our environment, diet, lifestyles, and our behaviors. It also encompasses how our bodies respond to various challenges. When coupled with advances in genetics and medicine, we believe the exposome will help elucidate environmental causes of disease and lead to improved strategies for preventing and treating diseases. Our current research projects are focused in the field of biomonitoring and exposomics. 

Our research interests include the development of novel analytical methods to detect organic chemicals in human and environmental specimens, aimed at assessing sources and pathways of exposure and developing biomarkers of exposures as well as health effects (also known as ‘biomarkers of response’). 

Determination of biomarkers of chemical exposure as well as biomarkers of response  (e.g., DNA damage, lipid peroxidation) in body tissues (e.g., blood, urine) help elucidate pathways that eventually lead to diseases.  The laboratory is well equipped and capable of measuring wide range of environmental chemicals for both assessing exposure and characterizing exposure pathways, and to allow for evaluation of their associations with health outcomes in populations. 

Our overarching theme of research is in understanding environmental sources, pathways, distribution, and the fate and effects of chemical pollutants, which is crucial if we are to devise solutions to current and future environmental problems. 

Select Recent publications 

1. Kannan, K., Wu, Q., Li, Z-M.  (2024).  Sources and pathways of human exposure to perchlorate in the United States: A comparison of environmental monitoring and biomonitoring approaches.  Environment Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, 6, 363-369.
2. Shin, N., Lascarez-Lagunas, L.I., Henderson, A.L., Martínez-García, M., Karthikraj, R., Barrera, V., Sui, S.H., Kannan, K. and Colaiacovo, M.P.  (2024).  Altered gene expression linked to germline dysfunction following exposure to DEET.  iScience, 27, 108699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108699
3. Liu, Y., Li, W-L., Li, Z-M. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  A Method for the Determination of 60 Liquid Crystal Monomers in Biotic and Abiotic Samples.  Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, 6, 51-64.
4. Li, W. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Screening for contamination levels of select organic environmental chemicals in medical supplies used for human specimen collection.  Chemosphere, 353, 141528.
5. Li, W. and Kannan, K. (2024).  A Simple and Sensitive Method for Simultaneous Analysis of 58 Neutral and Ionic PFAS Using UPLC-MS/MS.  Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 11, 308-314.
6. Li, Z-M. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Paired Human Urine and Feces: Relative Significance of Biliary Elimination.  Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 11, 533-538.
7. Li, Z-M. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Mass Loading, Removal and Emission of 1,3-Diphenylguanidine, Benzotriazole, Benzothiazole, N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-Phenylenediamine, and Their Derivatives in a Wastewater Treatment Plant in New York State, USA.  ACS EST Water, 4, 2721-2730.
8. Liu, Y and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Concentrations, Profiles and Potential Sources of Liquid Crystal Monomers in Residential Indoor Dust from the United States.  Environmental Science and Technology, 58, 12400-12408.
9. Jacobson, M.H., Hamra, G.B., Monk, C., Crum, R.M., Upadhyaya, S., Avalos, L.A., Bastain, T.M.,  Barrett, E.S., Bush, N.R., Dunlop, A.L., Ferrara, A., Firestein, M.R., Hipwell, A.E., Kannan, K., Lewis, J., Meeker, J.D., Ruden, D.M., Starling, A.P.,  Watkins, D.J., Zhao, Q., Trasande, L. for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Consortium (2024). Prenatal Exposure to Nonpersistent Environmental Chemicals and Postpartum Depression.  JAMA Psychiatry, 81(1):67-76. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.3542.
10. Taibl, K.R., Dunlop, A.L., Barr, D.B., Li, Y-Y., Eick, S.M., Kannan, K., Ryan, P.B., Schroder, M.,  Rushing, B., Fennell, T., Chang, C-J., Tan, Y., Marsit, C.J., Jones, D.P. and Liang, D.  (2023).  Newborn Metabolomic Signatures of Maternal Serum Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Reduced Length of Gestation.  Nature Communications, 14, 3120. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38710-3 
11. Liang, H-W., Koistinen, H., Barrett, E.S., Xun, X., Yin, Q., Kannan, K., Moog, N.K., Ng, C., O'Connor, T.G., Miller, R. and Adibi, J.J.  (2024).  Associations of serum perfluoroalkyl substances and placental human chorionic gonadotropin in early pregnancy, measured in the UPSIDE study in Rochester, New York.  Environmental Health Perpsectives 132(4), pp. 47008.
12. Yao, Y-N., Wang, Y., Zhang, H., Gao, Y., Zhang, T. and Kannan, K. (2024).  A review of sources, pathways and toxic effects of human exposure to benzophenone ultraviolet light filters.  Eco-Environment & Health, 3, 30-44.
13. Pal, V.K. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Stability of volatile organic compound metabolites in urine at various storage temperatures and freeze-thaw cycles for 8 months.  Environmental Pollution, 345, 123493.
14. Xue, J., Lin, Y., Zhao, D. and Kannan, K.  (2024).  Occurrence, Removal, and Fate of Benzothiazoles (BTHs) and Benzotriazoles (BTRs) in Two Wastewater Treatment Plants in New York State, USA.  Science of the Total Environment, 949, 175090.

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