Meizhen Yao

I’m a PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at University of Michigan School of Public Health, under the mentorship of Dr. John Meeker in the Meeker-Watkins Lab. My current work centers on prenatal exposures, adverse birth outcomes, and the underlying biological pathways studied through molecular epidemiology. My research interests include high dimensional omics analysis, environmental mixture modeling, and causal mediation analysis.

Before entering the doctoral program, I was a Biostatistician at Mount Sinai, working closely with Dr. Damaskini Valvi and Dr. Megan K Horton. My primary research interest focused on studying the impact of preconception and prenatal exposure to PFAS on health outcomes during the life course.

Previously I received my Bachelor of Medicine from Xinxiang Medical University in China. And I earned my Master of Science in Biostatistics from Rutgers School of Public Health in New Jersey under mentorship of Dr. Dirk Moore. Outside of work, I enjoy long-distance riding, traveling, and movies, but mostly spending quality time with my loved ones.