Frank Gilliland, MD, PhD

Professor Emeritus

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Overview

Dr. Gilliland is an established leading investigator in air pollution research, respiratory health and cancer epidemiology, and gene-environment interactions, and he has been the principal investigator for many epidemiological investigations. Since arriving at USC in 1997, he has published more than 190 scientific papers. Dr. Gilliland is Hastings Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. After obtaining a master’s degree in physics, he received his medical degree from the University of Virginia, followed by a residency and fellowship in occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Minnesota, where he received his M.P.H. and Ph.D. in environmental epidemiology. He also obtained board certification in emergency medicine and in environmental and occupational medicine. Prior to his appointment at USC, Dr. Gilliland was a faculty member at the University of New Mexico, focusing on occupational and environmental determinants of malignant and non-malignant respiratory disease as well as prostate and breast cancer.

Publications

  • Reduced DNA repair capacity by lymphocytes in response to PM2.5 and wood smoke exposure predicts risk for lung cancer and COPD. Environ Res. 2026 Aug 15; 303(Pt 2):124787.. View in PubMed
  • Metabolites and proteins may mediate the relationship between diet quality and insulin sensitivity in young adult cohort. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2026 Jun; 25(1):90.. View in PubMed
  • Novel amino acid and fatty acid signatures linked to type 2 diabetes risk after gestational diabetes mellitus. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2026 Apr 03; 25(1).. View in PubMed
  • Wildfire smoke-related PM2.5 concentration measurements, perceived indoor air quality, and health symptoms among Southern California residents during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires: A latent class mediation approach. Environ Int. 2026 Apr; 210:110207.. View in PubMed
  • Applying mixtures methodology to analyze how exposure to structural racism and economic disadvantage affect perinatal health outcomes: an ECHO study. Am J Epidemiol. 2026 Feb 05; 195(2):464-476.. View in PubMed
  • Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in adolescents and young adults: modifying roles of age, lifestyle factors, and PNPLA3 genotype. Environ Res. 2026 Jan 01; 288(Pt 2):123320.. View in PubMed
  • Mediating role of proteomics in the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and blood pressure in youth. Environ Pollut. 2025 Dec 15; 387:127336.. View in PubMed
  • Plasma Metabolomic and Proteomic Signatures of Blood Pressure Management After Bariatric Surgery Among Adolescents. Hypertension. 2025 Dec; 82(12):2183-2196.. View in PubMed
  • Air Pollution Exposure and Birth Weight in the ECHO Cohort. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Dec 01; 8(12):e2551459.. View in PubMed
  • Impact of heat exposure on sleep health and its population vulnerability in the United States. Environ Int. 2025 Dec; 206:109942.. View in PubMed