Zhongzheng Jason Niu selected as USC Sustainability Fellow to investigate the effects of air pollution exposure across life stages

Zhongzheng “Jason” Niu has been selected to USC’s first cohort of Presidential Sustainability Solutions Fellows. Niu, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of USC, is an environmental epidemiologist studying extreme heat and air pollution exposure’s effect on health outcomes at the body and cellular level. The inaugural cohort aim to address environmental crises of our time through a solutions-oriented approach centered in interdisciplinary research with active mentorship from two USC faculty in different departments. Read about Niu’s research mission below.

What is your area of research interest?

I have been interested in environmental stressors, such as air pollution for a long time. Overall, my research encompasses a deep dive to understand how air pollution exposure at particular life stages may affect the health outcomes of mothers and children such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, and birth outcomes. My past research investigated the effects of air pollution exposure during pregnancy. One study published in JAMA Open Network found that exposure to particulate matter in early to mid-pregnancy was significantly associated with lower birth weight, while another study in Lancet Regional Health – America explored the adverse effects on gestational diabetes. We are discovering how pregnancy can be a critical stage which influences the future health of mother and baby.

In a study based on my doctoral dissertation, we explored health outcomes of babies with mother’s who smoke. Here we defined mother’s smoking during pregnancy as a type of air pollution to the fetus, similar to secondhand smoke after birth. We found that maternal smoking and secondhand smoke increases the offspring’s risk of diabetes and hypertension in their 40s.

In my new role as USC Sustainability Fellow, I am looking deeper under the skin at telomeres and mitochondrial DNA copy number. These are 2 biomarkers derived from genomics which we are studying to understand whether biological age can be affected by climate change conditions such as air pollution exposure and heat waves.

What does sustainability mean to you as an air pollution researcher?

My research is a little bit different from what we commonly perceive sustainability to be. To most people, sustainable solutions include adjusting our lifestyles to a changing climate or creating products that are environmentally friendly. In my work, I am conducting research on humans living on a planet facing climate change – we are the ones that need to be sustained on the earth. My research focuses on promoting a healthier beginning for future generations as we continue to face climate change and even other conditions that we may not yet imagine, so that future generations can be sustained.

What new area are you investigating in your current research?

It is reported in the news that every year is going to be the hottest year on the record. While changes in policy are beneficial to addressing air pollution, we should also develop additional solutions to protect people from heat waves. This idea is what has shaped my recent research which explores the role of biomarkers such as telomers and the mitochondrial DNA copy number. For example, we can measure people’s telomeres for screening purposes. If they are short in length or have low DNA copy numbers of mitochondria, we may identify vulnerable populations who require additional care and protection from exposures such as heat waves.

Another part of my research investigates the usage and role of mitochondrial-derived peptides, called MDPs. These were discovered by my mentor Dean Pinchas Cohen who’s lab has conducted extensive research to understand MDP function. We are investigating MDPs to see if they have a buffer effect from environmental exposures on telomere length and mitochondria. In turn, they may be directly translated into clinical usage as medication to protect people from the effects of air pollution, heat waves, or any other environmental factors we perceive to be detrimental to health.

Why did you choose to continue your research mission at USC?

There are several reasons why USC has been a great fit for me. The first is my advisor Carrie Breton, ScD, professor of population and public health sciences, who’s research I was fascinated by even before I came to the Keck School of Medicine. Second, the overall atmosphere in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences has been friendly and welcoming to people from different places. I am a foreigner and English is not my first language, but I feel welcomed and supported in academia here. My colleagues have been friendly and supportive not only in my work, but they also give good guidance on career development. Third, is that I have learned so much and expanded my research scope. Initially, I studied air pollution, but during my time here I became more interested in heat waves. Part of the reason is because in the Division of Environmental Health—we are concerned about climate change and the effects we are witnessing in Southern California. This has motivated me to become more proactive in how my research can be used by policy makers and how to make it available and beneficial to the general public. My experiences here have extended my vision and made me delve deeper.