Cheryl Lyn Walker, Center Director

Dr. Cheryl Lyn Walker is the founding Director of the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health (GC-CPEH) at Baylor College of Medicine, where she holds the Alkek Presidential Chair in Environmental Health and is a Professor in the departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Medicine. Dr. Walker is internationally recognized for her work in environmental health and elucidation of molecular mechanisms of disease. Her studies on the role of the epigenome in gene-environment interactions have yielded significant insights into mechanisms by which early life environmental exposures influence health and disease across the life-course. Dr. Walker is currently Chair of the Research Advisory Committee for Gulf War Veterans Illnesses (RAC-GWVI) for the Veterans Administration and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the National Center for Toxicologic Research (NCTR) for the Food and Drug Administration. She also directs the NIEHS T32 Training Program in Precision Environmental Health.

Fernanda Laezza, Center Co-Director–UTMB, Career Development Program Director

Dr. Fernanda Laezza is the Director of the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine and a tenured Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Her research investigates how environmental exposures, such as pesticides, affect brain development and function, with a focus on ion channels, synaptic plasticity, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Using a multidisciplinary approach, her lab integrates molecular biology, electrophysiology, and imaging to uncover mechanisms linking environmental risk factors to neurological disease. A long-standing member of the GC-CPEH, Dr. Laezza succeeds Dr. Cornelis “Kees” Elferink as co-Director of the P30 Center, bringing strong expertise in neuroscience and a proven track record of collaboration.

Elaine Symanski, Center Deputy Director, TRSC Director

Dr. Elaine Symanski is the Deputy Director of the GC-CPEH at BCM and directs the GC-CPEH Translational Research Support Core. Dr. Symanski has expertise in conducting environmental epidemiological investigations, particularly among vulnerable populations. She employs community-engaged research approaches to increase the impact and translation of research findings.  Currently, she is serving as co-facilitator with Houston Health Department Director Stephen L. Williams to co-facilitate a Community Advisory Board to address resident concerns about dioxin contamination in neighborhoods near a former Union Pacific Railroad wood preserving works facility.  Dr. Symanski is also a member of the RAC-GWVI and has served on two NASEM committees in the past. These committees investigated: 1) the respiratory health effects of airborne hazard exposures in the Southeast Asia Theater of military operations and 2) the health effects associated with contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.  As co-chair of the subgroup on Exposure Characterization, she was recently part of the Working Group for IARC Monograph Vol. 131 – Cobalt Metal (without Tungsten Carbide), Cobalt(II) Salts, Weapons-Grade Tungsten (with Nickel and Cobalt) Alloy, and Antimony Trioxide.  She also directs NIHMD/NIEHS/NICHD Center of Excellence on Environmental Health Disparities Research (P50 MD015496).

Cristian Coarfa, PIPELINE Facility Core Director

Dr. Cristian Coarfa is an Associate Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine, with affiliations in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Precision Environmental Health. His research focuses on advancing biological insights through the integrative analysis and visualization of large-scale multi-omics datasets, supported by collaborative computational tools and platforms. His lab has extensive experience with analysis of RNA-Seq coding and non-coding transcriptomics, small RNA-Seq, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, MS-based metabolomics and lipidomics, MS proteomics, and RPPA proteomics. Dr. Coarfa’s team has developed pipelines for epigenomic assays and tools for integrating genetic and epigenetic variation. Current efforts focus on integrating metabolomics with transcriptomics and mining large-scale transcriptomic and epigenomic data to uncover disease mechanisms.

Abiodun Oluyomi, Community Engagement Core Director

Dr. Abiodun Oluyomi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He also serves as Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and is a member of the Center for Precision Environmental Health. His research bridges population health, environmental health, and data science, with a focus on measuring neighborhood-level stressors—chemical, physical, and social—and understanding how these factors contribute to disease risk. Dr. Oluyomi emphasizes the role of place and health equity through spatial epidemiology and geographic information systems (GIS), with projects that examine environmental exposures and community vulnerability, including in the aftermath of disasters such as Hurricane Harvey.

Casey Wright, Pilot Project Program Director

Dr. Casey Wright is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and Associate Director of the NIEHS Environmental Toxicology Training Program. His research investigates how inflammatory signaling contributes to autoimmune diseases and hematological malignancies, with a focus on two key transcription factors: NF-κB and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). By exploring the intersection of these pathways—particularly the role of AHR as a sensor of environmental xenobiotics—Dr. Wright’s work aims to uncover molecular mechanisms linking environmental exposures to immune dysregulation. His lab uses molecular, biochemical, and immunological approaches to identify therapeutic targets for immune-related diseases driven by deregulated signaling.

Heyreoun An Han, GC-CPEH Administrator

Dr. Heyreoun An Han is the Center Administrator for the Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health (GC-CPEH) at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Exposure Science from Rutgers University, followed by a research fellowship at the University of Maryland and a faculty appointment at UTHealth School of Public Health. Dr. An Han brings combined expertise in research and administration, with a focus on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Disaster Research Response (DR2) to advance environmental health in Houston’s communities. Prior to joining GC-CPEH in 2019, she co-led an NIH-funded community-based participatory research (CBPR) project that assessed metal exposure and implemented community-driven interventions. She also co-developed a rapid IRB review system to support timely post-disaster research following Hurricane Harvey and the ITC fire in Deer Park, TX. Dr. An Han is a member of the NIH DR2 network and contributes to national efforts to improve P30 Center operations, including service on the NIEHS EHSCC and Business Administrators working groups.