Kathy James, PhD, MSPH, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Dr. James is an epidemiologist and a specialist in environmental systems and the long-term health effects of cadmium, arsenic, and other metals. She has experience in leading and conducting research projects. She was the principal investigator of the Cardiovascular Effects of Environmental Cadmium Exposure, a prospective cohort study funded by NIEHS to evaluate clinical cardiovascular disease associated with exposure to cadmium and in the SLVDS cohort (1R21ES021831-01A1). Dr. James also led a comprehensive research project for her dissertation in the SLVDS cohort investigating inorganic arsenic exposure and cardiometabolic outcomes in the SLVDS cohort. Findings from this research involved a sophisticated and novel exposure assessment of inorganic arsenic in drinking water in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. The complex approach involved reconstruction of lifetime exposure to inorganic arsenic through drinking water based on groundwater concentrations and self-reported consumption. Estimated individual level exposure was validated using speciated urine arsenic concentrations in historically collected biosamples. These epidemiologic studies are among the first to show associations with low-level arsenic exposure (<50 µg/L) and have direct relevance to the exposure range of the US population. Currently, her research includes metal exposure and long term chronic kidney clinical and preclinical outcomes and in-utero metal exposure and adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes.