Dr. Lindsay Cahill studies the health impacts of contaminants, such as microplastics and perfluorinated chemicals, on pregnancy and young children.
Her research team uses both animal models and human studies to investigate how the pollutants influence pregnancy, the placenta and brain development.
It’s work that has been recently recognized by the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, by inducting Dr. Cahill as a member in the national organization.
The associate professor in Memorial University’s Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, who is cross-appointed in the Discipline of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, and the School of Pharmacy, is one of two Memorial researchers recently named as members.
Combined expertise
Dr. Cahill says she is looking forward to future collaborations with the society’s interdisciplinary group of leaders.
“I have been very fortunate to have outstanding mentors in Drs. Janet Rossant, Miriam Diamond and Marie-Eve Tremblay who are members of the Royal Society of Canada and who have supported all aspects of my career development, including this society’s application,” she said.
Hear more about Dr. Cahill’s work in the video below.
Dr. Cahill’s fascination with the placenta began years ago when she was researching magnetic resonance imaging in pregnant mice at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ont.
“It’s one of the least understood organs, yet absolutely essential for a healthy pregnancy,” she explained.
As for which pollutants to study, Dr. Cahill is motivated by the work of other scientists.
She says the first report of microplastics in the placenta motivated her to try and understand how the plastic particles might impact placental structure and function.
“Dr. Karl Jobst at Memorial University has discovered per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in drinking water in Torbay and I want to understand how these exposures might impact pregnancy.”
Dr. Cahill emphasizes that pollution is a global problem and that she is one of a large community of researchers trying to understand its impact on our health.
“Working at Memorial University, I get the opportunity to be inspired every day.”
She says the federal government sets many of the guidelines for environmental exposure and researchers hope to inform the policies to protect the health of Canadians.
“None of my research would be possible without my collaborators, combining our expertise and experience to achieve our common goal of improving the health of the environment and humans.”
Finding inspiration
And, while her research is grounded in science, Dr. Cahill says she finds inspiration all around her.
“Working at Memorial University, I get the opportunity to be inspired every day, from my women’s writing group to my hard-working and creative students and patient partners who share their experiences of pregnancy,” she said. “I am also inspired by the many people I have met in Newfoundland and Labrador who make small and large efforts to reduce pollution, as well as my colleagues working towards remediation and alternative solutions for harmful pollutants.”
Dr. Cahill was inducted during the Royal Society of Canada’s Celebration of Excellence and Engagement, in Montreal, Que., in November.
Learn more about research at Memorial and check out Research Strategy 2023-28 to learn how we’re moving ideas forward.
