Andrea Baccarelli

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Andrea Baccarelli is an Italian American scientist and physician who studies how the environment can change the way our genes work. He is the 10th dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, taking office on January 1, 2024.

Background and education
- Born in Italy and has American and Italian citizenship.
- Medical degree (MD) from the University of Perugia (1995).
- Master of Science in Epidemiology from the University of Turin.
- PhD in occupational health and industrial hygiene from the University of Milan (2003).
- Medical residency in endocrinology at the University of Milan and a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (2000–2004).

Career highlights
- Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (2016–2023).
- Led the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health at Columbia, bringing together researchers, community groups, and the public to study health effects from environmental exposures.
- Joined Harvard as Dean of the Faculty of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2024, after previously teaching there.

What his research shows
- He helped establish the field of public health epigenetics, studying how environmental factors can alter gene activity without changing DNA.
- His work links air pollution to changes in the epigenome and to health problems such as heart and brain diseases.
- He found that short-term exposure to air pollution can temporarily impair cognitive function in older adults, with NSAIDs like aspirin potentially offering some protection. He also found links between air pollution and higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures in older people.
- In 2024 he wrote a Boston Globe opinion piece about the exposome—the total sum of environmental and behavioral exposures affecting health—and how DNA methylation and other epigenetic methods could improve public health.
- In 2025 he coauthored a study suggesting prenatal use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD. The finding drew criticism for its methods, though it echoed broader concerns in the field. He was later involved in a related court case as a proposed expert witness; a judge ultimately did not allow him to testify. In 2025 he said he was paid about $150,000 for preparing the written report.

Awards and recognition
- Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2020.
- Served as president of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (2022–2023).
- Named “Person of the Year” by the City of Perugia.
- Received the Hans L. Falk Memorial Lecture Award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2024.
- Honored with the John Goldsmith Award from the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology in 2025 and invited to give the John Goldsmith Memorial Lecture at the ISEE meeting.

Andrea Baccarelli’s work has helped shape how scientists think about the connections between the environment, epigenetics, and public health, and he continues to lead major research and educational efforts at Harvard.