Kathrin Schilling, PhD

Residency: Columbia Global Center Mumbai

Research: Health Impacts of Heavy Metal Pollution in India: Building Awareness and Solutions

Kathrin Schilling, Ph.D., is a tenure-track assistant professor in environmental health sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She is also an associate member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as the director of the METAL Laboratory at Columbia University’s Integrative Health Science Facility Core, where she oversees advanced metal analysis for both population-based studies and laboratory research. She received the Yusuf Hamied Fellowship for her research on metal exposure and environmental health in India.

The goal of Dr. Schilling’s research is to advance understanding of how exposure to toxic and essential metals influence disease mechanisms and health outcomes. Her work focuses on identifying metal biomarkers for environmental carcinogens, tracing sources of metal exposure, and developing novel diagnostic and prognostic tools for clinical use. A major research initiative explores the role of metal concentrations in pancreatic cancer, using innovative approaches to identify biomarkers for early detection. Additional areas of expertise include metal exposure in women’s health, with a particular focus on toxic metals in feminine hygiene products and their potential health impacts.

Dr. Schilling’s Scholar-in-Residence project focuses on metal contamination and public health in India, emphasizing the right to health as outlined in international human rights frameworks. Through research, policy engagement, and community outreach, the project aims to address the widespread presence of toxic metals in water, food, and air, which pose serious health risks. By collaborating with academic institutions and policymakers, Dr. Schilling seeks to develop awareness programs, training workshops, and intervention strategies to mitigate metal exposure and its long-term health impacts.