Center for PFAS Research

Dr. Kristen Upson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. Dr. Upson is an epidemiologist whose research intersects gynecologic and environmental health. Her innovative research program focuses on environmental risk factors for endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and adenomyosis. As heavy menstrual bleeding is a key symptom of these gynecologic conditions, one aspect of Dr. Upson’s research program has been the consideration of menstrual blood loss as a PFAS excretion route. Another vital aspect of her research program is the investigation of common, everyday factors unique to reproductive-age individuals that may increase toxic metal body burden: hormonal contraception, heavy menstrual bleeding, diet, iron deficiency, and menstrual products. She is currently the Principal Investigator of an NIH R01-funded study from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to investigate injectable hormonal contraceptive use and toxic metal lead concentrations in young women using data from the Kampala Women’s Bone Study in Uganda.

Dr. Upson received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH.