Oulhote Appointed to African Union Scientific Committee

Youssef Oulhote, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, has been appointed to the Scientific Committee of African Scientific and Research Innovation Council (ASRIC). His term began in late November, coinciding with his delivery of the keynote address at the 4th ASRIC Congress held in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Oulhote’s talk, “Africa’s Hidden Pandemic: From Cell to Society,” focused on the health, economic, and societal impacts of environmental neurotoxicants in Africa. Increasing evidence has shown that some chemicals are particularly toxic to the human brain. In his presentation, Oulhote described the implications of such contaminants and discussed the main challenges facing the African continent regarding both demographic and epidemiological transitions. For instance, it is estimated that lead poisoning alone costs the continent nearly 4% of its GDP, and that approximately half of Africa’s children are exposed to high lead concentrations. His talk ended with short- and long-term projects that could strengthen capacity building on the continent and allow in depth analysis of population exposure to chemical contaminants and their potential health and economic effects, particularly on child brain development.

As a member of the Scientific Committee of the ASRIC, Oulhote will help establish priorities of research and innovation for the African Union (AU) research council. The group is developing three flagship projects, one of which is being led by Oulhote alongside representatives of the academies of science of Zambia and Rwanda. The project will focus on fighting stunted growth in African countries by designing strategies to tackle pollution and malnutrition.

Oulhote joined the faculty in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst in 2018. His research focuses on the health effects of early life exposures to metals (e.g. mercury, lead, and manganese) and endocrine disruptors (e.g. PBDEs, PFAS, and phthalates), with an emphasis on children’s cognitive and behavioral functions. His research explores the interplay of environmental, nutritional and social factors, and how these exposures interact to impact population health.