Jun Wu

About

Dr. Jun Wu is a Professor in Environmental and Occupational Health at the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, University of California, Irvine. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004. Dr. Wu's research focuses on population-based studies in environmental exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and environmental health disparity. She has extensive expertise in examining the combined effects of various environmental exposures such as air pollution, climate, and built environment factors like green space, alongside socioeconomic determinants, on reproductive outcomes including maternal and fetal health, children's health, and other health endpoints. Additionally, Dr. Wu is deeply engaged in research on environmental justice and health disparities, often collaborating closely with communities to address these issues. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards including the 2023 Athalie Clarke Achievement Award in Public Health, the 2023 Delta Omega Public Health Faculty Honoree, the 2014 Joan M. Daisey Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the International Society of Exposure Science, and the 2010 Walter A. Rosenblith New Investigator Award from the Health Effects Institute.

Research topics

• Environmental health
• Medicine
• Biology
• Environmental science
• Ecology
• Geography
• Sociology
• Environmental planning
• Computer Science
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• Exposure to air pollutant mixture and gestational diabetes mellitus in Southern California: Results from electronic health record data of a large pregnancy cohort

  Environment International · 2021 · 100 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Epidemiological findings are inconsistent regarding the associations between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Several limitations exist in previous studies, including potential outcome and exposure misclassification, unassessed confounding, and lack of simultaneous consideration of air pollution mixtures and particulate matter (PM) constituents. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between GDM and maternal residential exposure to air p…

  DOI

• Associations between green space and preterm birth: Windows of susceptibility and interaction with air pollution

  Environment International · 2020 · 98 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported inconsistent associations between maternal residential green space and preterm birth (PTB, born < 37 completed gestational weeks). In addition, windows of susceptibility during pregnancy have not been explored and potential interactions of green space with air pollution exposures during pregnancy are still unclear. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationships between green space and PTB, identify windows of susceptibility, and explore potential interactions…

  DOI

• Using machine learning to examine street green space types at a high spatial resolution: Application in Los Angeles County on socioeconomic disparities in exposure

  The Science of The Total Environment · 2021 · 76 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Risk assessment of soil heavy metal contamination at the census tract level in the city of Santa Ana, CA: implications for health and environmental justice

  Environmental Science Processes & Impacts · 2021 · 56 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  (1) Background: exposure to heavy metals is associated with adverse health effects and disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color. We carried out a community-based participatory research study to examine the distribution of heavy metal concentrations in the soil and social vulnerabilities to soil heavy metal exposures across Census tracts in Santa Ana, CA. (2) Methods: soil samples (n = 1528) of eight heavy metals including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn),…

  DOI

• Fine Particulate Matter, Its Constituents, and Spontaneous Preterm Birth

  JAMA Network Open · 2024-11-13 · 26 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Importance: The associations of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its constituents with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) remain understudied. Identifying subpopulations at increased risk characterized by socioeconomic status and other environmental factors is critical for targeted interventions. Objective: To examine associations of PM2.5 and its constituents with sPTB. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2008 to 20…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Air Pollution and Pregnancy Complications in Complex Urban Environments: Risks, Heterogeneity, and Mechanisms

  NIH · $3.2M · 2019–2025

• Exposure to mobile source air pollution and adverse birth outcomes in the Los Ang

  NIH · $552k · 2008–2012

Frequent coauthors

• Loı̈c Le Marchand

  Cancer Center of Hawaii

  84 shared

• Lianfa Li

  Chinese Academy of Sciences

  59 shared

• Beate Ritz

  UCLA Health

  55 shared

• Iona Cheng

  UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

  44 shared

• Tarik Benmarhnia

  University of California, San Diego

  44 shared

• Yi Sun

  Qufu Normal University

  39 shared

• Shahir Masri

  University of California, Irvine

  39 shared

• Salma Shariff‐Marco

  University of California, San Francisco

  36 shared

Awards & honors

• distinguished faculty award for research (March 6, 2025)
• UC Irvine Wen Public Health climbs three spots in federal re…
• UC Irvine-led study finds common foods may expose California…
• UC Irvine-community partnership honored for environmental ju…
• UC Irvine wins NIH grant to study environmental impacts on m…

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