Dr. Rima Habre Explores Chemical Exposure Science on NEXUS Podcast
USC researcher discusses wearables, mass spectrometry, and the future of exposomics in latest podcast episode
Dr. Rima Habre, Professor of Environmental Health at the Keck School of Medicine and affiliated faculty member at the USC Spatial Sciences Institute, hosts the NEXUS Podcast, which features in-depth conversations about cutting-edge exposure science methods and the future of exposomics research.
In Episode 4 of the NEXUS Podcast, “Wrangling the Chemical Space using Wearables and Mass Spectrometry,” Dr. Habre sat down with Dr. Krystal Pollitt, Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health and Co-Lead of the NEXUS Chem Bio Analytical Sciences Hub, to discuss collaborative research being conducted through the NEXUS Network for Exposomics in the United States.
Their conversation, highlighting the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of exposure science, covered domains that both researchers regularly navigate: atmospheric chemistry, engineering, epidemiology, community engagement, and data modeling.
Innovation in Wearable Sensor Technology
A central focus of the discussion was the development of new wearable sensors to measure chemical exposures. Dr. Pollitt explained that her frustration with the limitations of existing tools drove her to design custom sensors capable of capturing far more data than traditional monitoring equipment.
“PM mass concentration is like the tip. It’s this bulk measure of everything. And I wanted to know the everything,” Dr. Pollitt explained, describing her motivation to measure as much of the chemical space as possible beyond standard particulate matter measurements.
Advanced mass spectrometry analysis led researchers to discover they could detect more than combustion signatures. Instead, they found a wide array of chemicals that off-gas from furniture, dust, carpets, and everyday consumer products like phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and flame retardants, to name a few.
Watch the full conversation:
Implications for USC Research
As both NEXUS MPI (Multiple Principal Investigator) and affiliated faculty at the USC Spatial Sciences Institute, Dr. Habre brings expertise at the intersection of environmental health and spatial science to USC’s research enterprise. Her work connects the external environment measured through geospatial approaches to internal biological markers and health outcomes, linking the outside world to our inner well-being.
The NEXUS podcast underscores the collaborative and innovative research being conducted through the network, while highlighting USC’s leadership role in advancing precision environmental health science.
To learn more about exposomics and how geospatial and chemical exposure sciences are integral elements, watch or listen to the full NEXUS Podcast Series.