Megan K Horton
Principal Investigator
Megan Horton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola University Chicago, Master of Arts in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Master of Public Health and Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from Columbia University. She received post-doctoral training through the Neuroepidemiology T32 Training Program at Columbia University. Prior to joining Mount Sinai in 2013, she was an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia, funded through a K99/R00 award from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. Understanding the relationship between environmental factors and neurodevelopment throughout the life course lies at the heart of her research. Her lab integrates exposure science, environmental epidemiology, neuroimaging and advanced statistical approaches to understand how our environment impacts human health
Elza Rechtman
Postdoctoral Fellow
Elza is a dually trained neuroscientist and environmental epidemiologist, with expertise in mixture analyses, neuroimaging, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Originally from Israel, she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology and her Master of Science in Neuroscience from Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Paris Descartes University where she combined magnetic resonance imaging and eye-tracking methods to characterize cerebral networks underlying social cognition in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. She joined the Horton lab as a postdoctoral fellow in 2018, where she studies the impact of early life exposure to neurotoxicant mixtures on the developing brain and behavior, using MRI.
Azzurra Invernizzi
Postdoctoral Fellow
Azzurra received her BSE from the University of Pavia followed by her Master of Arts in Neural Engineering from the University of Genoa, Italy. Following her graduation, Azzurra joined the BIND group at the University of Oxford as research assistant, where she specialized in biomedical imaging and signals, developing novel imaging methods to analyze large-scale alterations of human cortical activities. She received her Ph.D in Computational Visual Neuroscience from the University of Groningen. Her Ph.D project aimed to investigate and expand the knowledge on the biological and computational mechanisms underlying the plasticity of human brain activity at rest.
In 2021, Azzurra joined the Horton team as a postdoctoral fellow and her projects aim to investigate and better understand changes in brain connectivity due to different environmental exposures by implementing biological-plausible models. Her research interests include neural modeling, deep- and machine-learning and applications of mathematical models to expand our knowledge on human behavior. In her free time, Azzurra loves food, traveling, practicing yoga and pilates, but mostly spending quality time with her loved ones.
Kristie Oluyemi
PhD Candidate
Kristie is a PhD candidate in the Neuroscience program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Pace University. Since joining the Horton team in June 2022, Kristie's research focuses on investigating the impact of early life exposure to metal mixtures on adolescent risk-taking, utilizing functional MRI and computational approaches. Her research interests include exploring the impact of chemical and non-chemical stressors on child and adolescent brain development and mental health. Beyond her work in the lab, Kristie enjoys exploring the city with her friends and spending quality time with her family.
Meizhen Yao
Biostatistician I
Meizhen is a Biostatistician in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai. She received her Bachelor of Medicine from Xinxiang Medical University in China, and Master of Science in Biostatistics from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She joined the Horton lab in October 2022 and leads data management for the PHIME project in Italy. In addition to data management, Meizhen has extensive experience in applying statistical methods to identify environmental risks affecting public health. Her research interest includes data management, environmental mixture modelling and high-dimensional data analysis, among others. Outside of work, Meizhen enjoys long-distance riding, traveling and movies.
Michelle A. Rodriguez
Associate Researcher II
Michelle received her Bachelor of Science from The City College of New York in Biochemistry and her Master of Science from the the CUNY Graduate School of Public and Health Policy in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. She joined the Horton team in February 2022. In addition to leading the project coordination of the PROGRESS MRI study in Mexico City and PHIME-3 study in Italy, Michelle is learning to process and analyze structural and functional imaging data and incorporate into statistical analyses. Her research interests include exploration of environmental and occupational causes of neurological, immunological, and cardiovascular diseases. She is passionate about identifying problems and working on sustainable solutions in vulnerable populations and underserved communities. She hopes to combine her research and outreach experience to advocate for the significance of public health and environmental health.
Anna Sather
Associate Researcher I
Anna received her Bachelor of Science from Boston College in Neuroscience with a minor in public health. She joined the Horton team in 2023. Anna is leading the lab’s World Trade Center (WTC) pilot study that aims to examine how the complex rescue and recovery experience endured by 9/11 first responders may impact brain health. More specifically, the study will analyze structural and functional brain measures associated with frailty and aging. Anna is interested in learning to analyze neuroimaging data and strengthen her skills in statistical analyses. Her primary research interests include understanding the intersections between environmental exposures and neurological and psychiatric outcomes. Outside of the lab, Anna enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Past Members
Demetrios M. Papazaharias, MPH
Data Analyst