Lead toxicity expert: ‘It’s not just about Flint, MI’

Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, has gained worldwide recognition over the past 20 years for his research into the devastating effects of environmental lead exposure, especially among children. In the video above, he weighs in on the Flint, Michigan water crisis as well as lead contamination happening around the world.

Guilarte comes to FIU after success as the inaugural Leon Hess Professor and Chairman of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Before his time at Columbia, Guilarte spent 30 years as a professor and researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Specializing in neurotoxicology, neuroimaging and environmentally-induced neurological diseases, Guilarte uses behavioral, cellular and molecular approaches to reveal the effects of heavy metal exposure on the developing brain, focusing specifically on the molecular mechanisms by which lead impairs cognitive function.

Guilarte joins FIU this month, bringing with him more than $7.5 million in active grant funding.

Watch this video to learn more about FIU Stempel College.