Aaron Barchowsky

Contributions to Public Health

• I am an environmental, molecular toxicologist and the primary focus of my research over the past thirty-five years has been mechanistic investigation of how environmental contaminants, primarily metals, promote cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases. While best known for fundamental research in the pathogenesis from arsenic in drinking water and food, our research has translated to providing the World Health Organization with estimates of the substantial global burden of caners and cardiovascular disease caused by arsenic in food.
  • Oberoi S, B Devleesschauwer, HJ Gibb, A Barchowsky. Global burden of cancer and coronary heart disease resulting from dietary exposure to arsenic, 2015. Environ Res 2019 171:185-
    192.
  • Khatun, M, N Haque, AE Siddique, AS Wahed, MS Islam, S Khan, AM Jubayar, J Sadi, E Kabir, TT Shila, Z Islam, MK Sarker, HU Banna, S Hossain, D Sumi, ZA Saud, A Barchowsky, S Himeno, K Hossain. Arsenic Exposure-Related Hypertension in Bangladesh and Reduced Circulating Nitric Oxide Bioavailability. Environ Health Perspect 2024 132: 47003.
  • Jubayar AM, Khan S, Sadi J, Uddin N, Goni O, Khatun M, Siddique AE, Kabir E, Rimi RK, Beauty SA, Rossi KN, Abedin F, Sarder SJ, Islam MS, Sarker MK, Hossain S, Sumi D, Saud ZA, Barchowsky A, Wahed AS, Himeno S, Hossain K. Novel evidence of arsenic-related excess adiposity and its implication in the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Environ Res. 2025 Apr 15;271:121059.
• A goal of improving mechanistic understanding of environmentally derived disease mechanisms is to identify effective interventions that limit the global burden of arsenic- promoted diseases. Our research is identifying compounds that restore the health of arsenic-damaged mitochondrial to reverse epigenetic dysregulation of metabolism and regenerative capacity.   
  • Anguiano T, A Sahu, B Qian, WY Tang, F Ambrosio, A Barchowsky. Arsenic directs stem cell fate by imparting Notch signaling into the extracellular matrix niche. Toxicol Sci. 2020 177: 494-505.
  • Clemens Z, K Wang, F Ambrosio, A Barchowsky. Arsenic disrupts extracellular vesicle-mediated signaling in regenerating myofibers. Toxicol Sci. 2023 195:231-245.
  • Jasper AA, Shah KH, Karim H, Gujral S, Miljkovic I, Rosano C, Barchowsky A, Sahu A. Regenerative rehabilitation measures to restore tissue function after arsenic exposure. Curr Opin Biomed Eng. 2024 Jun;30. doi: 10.1016/j.cobme.2024.100529
• Over the past thirty-five years, I have taught courses in Medical Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Environmental Health in both Medical Schools and the School of Public Health. These courses have targeted undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. I currently direct the Pitt Public Health MPH core curriculum course in Environmental Health and Disease (EOH 2013) and created a new toxicology course for the BSPH program titled Molecules of Life, Sickness and Health (PUBHLT 0422).