Postdoc Spotlight: Cameron Stopforth

Congratulations to Cameron Stopforth on his publication, “Associations of Sympathetic Activation with Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds: A Cross-Sectional Study,” featured as an NIEHS Environmental Factor Extramural Paper of the Month. Cameron earned his PhD in Physiology at the University of Louisville and is now a postdoctoral research coordinator at the Christina Lee Brown Enviorme Institute.

Could you tell us about this work and how this achievement will impact your professional career?

"This work originates from my dissertation project, which used data from the Green Heart Louisville cohort to assess how volatile organic compound metabolites are linked with increased sympathetic nervous system activity in humans. As an early-career investigator, this national recognition from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences supports our belief that this work is relevant and impactful within the current scope of literature. Being highlighted publicizes our work to promote collaboration with other scientists in this space and helps justify the need for future project support focused on the health consequences of VOC exposures."

What is your research about?

"My research focuses on the impact of environmental stressors on physiological burden and interventional strategies targeted at mitigating exposures and improving health outcomes. Specifically, I address these research questions through community-based, quasi-experimental studies in Louisville. I have the unique opportunity to be part of the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, which has established multiple longitudinal studies, such as the Green Heart Louisville Project and the Trager Microforest Project. These projects extend beyond just observational research by actively improving the urban environment to evaluate physiological changes. 

Much of my initial environmental work focused on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their relation to autonomic function. As a postdoctoral trainee in the NIEHS T32 Environmental Health Sciences training program, I have received the mentorship necessary to implement more complex analytic approaches that expand on my doctoral work. For example, these advanced methods have allowed for the modeling of pollutant mixtures and the use of composite health metrics, such as allostatic load, to gain a more holistic understanding of physiological burden. I am also working on methods to assess exposures across varied spatial and temporal contexts to better understand how the environmental context contributes to exposure-related health outcomes. Future directions in my work include leveraging my background in exercise physiology to determine the role that physical activity plays in shaping environmental exposures, and conversely, how environmental factors may dictate physical activity patterns."

What are your career goals and vision?

"I see our environmental landscape evolving rapidly and I believe there are meaningful steps we can take now to improve the spaces we interact with in the future. On the other hand, there are behaviors we can promote within our current landscape to influence environmental exposures aimed at improving health outcomes. This is a transdisciplinary vision: including expertise across urban planning, environmental science, toxicology, and public health. My role in this framework is to provide evidence about the physiological consequences of our changing environment to guide future interventions and mitigation strategies. Whether through urban planning initiatives, development of environmental metrics within wearables, or public policies, human-based data must be present to support these movements. I am currently gravitating towards a research position that enables me to be involved in these types of initiatives. My broader goal is to apply science beyond the laboratory that provides benefit at an individual and community level."

If you are a postdoc at UofL and want to share your accomplishments, email us at ulpda@louisville.edu.