Irva Hertz-Picciotto

Irva Hertz-Picciotto (born c. 1948), is an environmental epidemiologist best known for her studies of autism. She is Professor and Chief, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, at the University of California, Davis (UC-Davis).^[1] In addition, she is on the Research Faculty of the MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute at UC-Davis;^[2] is Deputy Director of the UC-Davis Center for Children's Environmental Health;^[3] and is on the faculty of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health of the Universities of California at Berkeley, Davis, and San Francisco.^[4] Hertz-Picciotto serves on the advisory board of the anti-toxic chemical NGO Healthy Child, Healthy World.^[5]

Biography

Hertz-Picciotto received four degrees from the University of California at Berkeley: a B.A. in Mathematics in 1970, an M.P.H. in Epidemiology in 1984, a M.A. in Biostatistics in 1985, and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology in 1989.^[6] She was on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 12 years before joining UC-Davis.^[7]

She has published over 170 scientific articles,^[8] including:

• In 2009, Hertz-Picciotto and Delwiche analyzed data on autism in California and concluded that "younger ages at diagnosis, differential migration, changes in diagnostic criteria, and inclusion of milder cases do not fully explain the observed increases."^[9] After publication of the article, she was quoted as saying that "It’s time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California."^[10]
• She was the senior author of a 2010 study that detected autism "clusters" in California associated with high levels of education among the children's parents.^[11][12]
• She was the senior author of another 2010 study using California data that showed that maternal age is associated with a higher risk of autism "regardless of the paternal age."^[13][14]

Selected research projects

Current research projects for which Hertz-Picciotto is principal investigator include:

• Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE), a study begun in 2003.^[15]
• Markers of Autism Risk in Babies-Learning Early Signs (MARBLES), a study begun in 2006. It investigates biological and environmental exposures that may contribute to causing autism by following pregnant women who have a biological child with autism spectrum disorder.^[16]

Hertz-Picciotto also collaborates on the following studies, among others:

• National Children's Study to examine environmental influences on health and development, for which federal funding for the UC-Davis site was announced in 2007.^[17]
• Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI), a prospective study involving four sites that was launched in 2009 to elucidate risk factors and markers for autism spectrum disorder.^[18]

Selected awards, recognition, and service

• Abraham Lilienfeld Student Prize Paper, Society for Epidemiologic Research, 1988^[19]
• Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, inducted in 1998^[20]
• Chair, Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides, Institute of Medicine, 2000^[21]
• McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001^[22]
• Lifetime National Associate of the National Academies, National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council, 2002^[23]
• President, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, 2002−2003^[24]
• President, Society for Epidemiologic Research, 2006^[25]
• Chair, Committee on Breast Cancer and the Environment: The Scientific Evidence, Research Methodology, and Future Directions, Institute of Medicine, 2010-^[26]
• Editorial Board, Environmental Health^[27]
• Editorial Board, Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations^[28]
• Research Screening Committee, California Air Resources Board^[29]

Selected publications

• Hertz-Picciotto I, Swan SH, Neutra RR, Samuels SJ. Spontaneous abortions in relation to consumption of tap water: an application of methods from survival analysis to a pregnancy follow-up study. Am J Epidemiol. 1989 Jul;130(1):79-93. PMID 2787112
• Abrams B, Duncan D, Hertz-Picciotto I. A prospective study of dietary intake and acquired immune deficiency syndrome in HIV-seropositive homosexual men. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 1993 Aug;6(8):949-58. PMID 8100273
• Arrighi HM, Hertz-Picciotto I. Definitions, sources, magnitude, effect modifiers, and strategies of reduction of the healthy worker effect. J Occup Med. 1993 Sep;35(9):890-2. PMID 8229339
• Arrighi HM, Hertz-Picciotto I. The evolving concept of the healthy worker survivor effect. Epidemiology. 1994 Mar;5(2):189-96. PMID 8172994
• Hertz-Picciotto I. Epidemiology and quantitative risk assessment: a bridge from science to policy. Am J Public Health. 1995 Apr;85(4):484-91. PMID 7702110
• Borja-Aburto VH, Hertz-Picciotto I, Rojas Lopez M, Farias P, Rios C, Blanco J. Blood lead levels measured prospectively and risk of spontaneous abortion. Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Sep 15;150(6):590-7. PMID 10489998
• Hopenhayn-Rich C, Browning SR, Hertz-Picciotto I, Ferreccio C, Peralta C, Gibb H. Chronic arsenic exposure and risk of infant mortality in two areas of Chile. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Jul;108(7):667-73. PMID 10903622
• Bell EM, Hertz-Picciotto I, Beaumont JJ. A case-control study of pesticides and fetal death due to congenital anomalies. Epidemiology. 2001 Mar;12(2):148-56. PMID 11246574
• James RA, Hertz-Picciotto I, Willman E, Keller JA, Charles MJ. Determinants of serum polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides measured in women from the child health and development study cohort, 1963-1967. Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Jul;110(7):617-24. PMID 12117636
• Dole N, Savitz DA, Hertz-Picciotto I, Siega-Riz AM, McMahon MJ, Buekens P. Maternal stress and preterm birth. Am J Epidemiol. 2003 Jan 1;157(1):14-24. PMID 12505886
• Hopenhayn C, Ferreccio C, Browning SR, Huang B, Peralta C, Gibb H, Hertz-Picciotto I. Arsenic exposure from drinking water and birth weight. Epidemiology. 2003 Sep;14(5):593-602. PMID 14501275
• Renwick AG, Barlow SM, Hertz-Picciotto I, Boobis AR, Dybing E, Edler L, Eisenbrand G, Greig JB, Kleiner J, Lambe J, Müller DJ, Smith MR, Tritscher A, Tuijtelaars S, van den Brandt PA, Walker R, Kroes R. Risk characterisation of chemicals in food and diet. Food Chem Toxicol. 2003 Sep;41(9):1211-71. PMID 12890421
• Hertz-Picciotto I, Croen LA, Hansen R, Jones CR, van de Water J, Pessah IN. The CHARGE study: an epidemiologic investigation of genetic and environmental factors contributing to autism. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Jul;114(7):1119-25. PMID 16835068
• Hertz-Picciotto I, Park HY, Dostal M, Kocan A, Trnovec T, Sram R. Prenatal exposures to persistent and non-persistent organic compounds and effects on immune system development. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2008 Feb;102(2):146-54. PMID 18226068
• Hertz-Picciotto I, Delwiche L. The rise in autism and the role of age at diagnosis. Epidemiology. 2009 Jan;20(1):84-90. PMID 19234401
• Van Meter KC, Christiansen LE, Delwiche LD, Azari R, Carpenter TE, Hertz-Picciotto I. Geographic distribution of autism in California: a retrospective birth cohort analysis. Autism Res. 2010 Feb;3(1):19-29. PMID 20049980
• Shelton JF, Tancredi DJ, Hertz-Picciotto I. Independent and dependent contributions of advanced maternal and paternal ages to autism risk. Autism Res. 2010 Feb;3(1):30-9. PMID 20143326

References

1. Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis. Faculty. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
2. UC Davis MIND Institute. Research faculty. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
3. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Center for Children's Environmental Health home page. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
4. Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, PhD, MPH. Retrieved 2010 October 16.
5. Healthy Child, Healthy World. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, board member. Retrieved 2014 June 18.
6. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D., M.P.H. (curriculum vitae) at the Wayback Machine (archived January 19, 2012). Retrieved 2010 October 15.
7. UC Davis Health System. Irva Hertz-Picciotto. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
8. U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed search results for "Hertz-Picciotto I [Author]". Retrieved 2010 October 15.
9. Hertz-Picciotto I, Delwiche L. The rise in autism and the role of age at diagnosis. Epidemiology. 2009 Jan;20(1):84-90. PMID 19234401
10. Cone M. Autism epidemic not caused by shifts in diagnoses; environmental factors likely. Environmental Health News 2009 January 9. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
11. Van Meter KC, Christiansen LE, Delwiche LD, Azari R, Carpenter TE, Hertz-Picciotto I. Geographic distribution of autism in California: a retrospective birth cohort analysis. Autism Res. 2010 Feb;3(1):19-29. PMID 20049980
12. Hamilton J. Autism 'clusters' linked to parents' education. National Public Radio News 2010 January 6. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
13. Shelton JF, Tancredi DJ, Hertz-Picciotto I. Independent and dependent contributions of advanced maternal and paternal ages to autism risk. Autism Res. 2010 Feb;3(1):30-9.
14. Putting off motherhood increases risk of autistic child: researchers. The Telegraph 2010 Feb 9. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
15. MIND Institute. CHARGE study homepage. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
16. MIND Institute. MARBLES study homepage. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
17. Griffith D. Area's kids in major study - county children, mothers to be enlisted for nationwide look at environmental effects on health. Sacramento Bee 2007 October 5.
18. Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI). Meet the EARLI investigators of northern California-UC Davis. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
19. Society for Epidemiologic Research. About us. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
20. Delta Omega: Honorary Society in Public Health. Membership list - H. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
21. Institute of Medicine, Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides. Veterans and Agent Orange: update 2000. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. ISBN 0-309-07552-1
22. UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. McGavran Award: past recipients. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
23. National Associates of the National Academies. The National Associates program. 2008 September. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
24. International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. Past Officers and Councilors. Updated 2010 January 12. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
25. Society for Epidemiologic Research. SER historical data - presidents and executive board members. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
26. National Academies. Project Information. Project Title: Breast Cancer and the Environment: The Scientific Evidence, Research Methodology, and Future Directions. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
27. Environmental Health. Professor Irva Hertz-Picciotto. Editorial Board. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
28. Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations Professor Irva Hertz-Picciotto. Editorial Board. Retrieved 2010 October 15.
29. California Air Resources Board Research Screening Committee. 2010 October 7. Retrieved 2010 October 15.

External links

• KQED. Autism: searching for causes. 2008 August 19. [Video which contains section on MARBLES study.]
• Marino Autism Institute: epidemiologic perspective. 2008 April 22. [Video of lecture by Hertz-Picciotto.]