Anke Huels, PhD, MSc

Research Program

Cancer Prevention and Control
Phone Number

404-727-4103
Email Address

anke.huels@emory.edu

Biography

Anke Huels, PhD, MSc, is an assistant professor of Epidemiology at Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University. Dr. Huels is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Education

Dr. Huels received her PhD and MSc, both in Biostatistics, from TU Dortmund University in Dortmund, Germany. She completed her postdoctoral training at University of British Columbia and at Emory University.

Titles & Roles

Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology

Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Research

Dr. Huels' research involves the development of epidemiological methods and their direct application to environmental and genetic epidemiology. Examples include the association between outdoor and indoor air pollution with human health, methods and applications for the detection of gene-environment (GxE) interactions, and current challenges in the analysis of DNA methylation data. Her aim is to improve the understanding of environmental risk factors particularly in susceptible populations that are often at a higher risk for disease.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and associations with child behavior problems at 1-5 years. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)	SM Eick, KE Ortlund, DB Barr, AL Dunlop, D Liang, EJ Corwin, PB Ryan, S Friedman, M Buhr, P Panuwet, PE D'Souza, V Yakimavets, GE Lee, A Huels, N Sehgal, Y Tan, PA Brennan	05/15/2025
Childhood Asthma and Allergy Are Related to Accelerated Epigenetic Aging. Allergy	M Leskien, E Thiering, Z Yu, A Huels, Y Yao, SK Merid, O Gruzieva, S Weidinger, M Waldenberger, A Peters, E Melén, M Standl	05/10/2025
Maternal asthma and newborn DNA methylation. Clinical epigenetics	CT Pedersen, TT Hoang, J Jin, A Starnawska, R Granell, HR Elliott, A Huels, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, Y Zhang, HTD Dekker, L Duijts, JF Felix, J Sangüesa, M Bustamante, M Casas, M Vrijheid, L Kadalayil, FI Rezwan, H Arshad, JW Holloway, S Röder, AC Zenclussen, G Herberth, NH Staunstrup, HT Horsdal, J Mill, E Hannon, I Annesi-Maesano, G Pesce, N Baïz, B Heude, S Hosseinian-Mohazzab, CV Breton, S Harlid, J Harbs, M Domellof, C West, E Yeung, X Zeng, W Nystad, SE Håberg, MC Magnus, D Schendel, SJ London, K Bønnelykke	05/10/2025
Strengthening Rigor and Reproducibility in Epigenome-Wide Association Studies of Social Exposures and Brain-Based Health Outcomes. Current environmental health reports	BG McKenna, AA Lussier, MJ Suderman, E Walton, AJ Simpkin, A Hüls, EC Dunn	04/21/2025
Cell type-specific methylome-wide association studies of childhood ADHD symptoms. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences	M Meijer, M Klein, D Caramaschi, SL Clark, M Cosin-Tomas, N Koen, X Lu, RH Mulder, SW Röder, Y Zhang, L Zilich, M Bustamente, M Deuschle, JF Felix, JR González, R Gražulevičiene, F Streit, J Wright, A Carracedo, CAM Cecil, E Corpeleijn, CA Hartman, G Herberth, A Huels, C Relton, H Snieder, DJ Stein, J Sunyer, SH Witt, HJ Zar, AC Zenclussen, B Franke, W Copeland, KA Aberg, EJCG van den Oord	04/17/2025
Cluster profiles of distressing psychotic-like experiences among children and associations with genetic risk, prenatal cannabis exposure, and social-environmental characteristics. Schizophrenia research	Q Yuan, Y Chen, Y Xu, LV Dimitrov, BB Risk, EF Walker, A Huels, BS Ku	04/01/2025
Interaction between Neighborhood Exposome and Genetic Risk in Child Psychotic-like Experiences. Research square	Y Chen, Q Yuan, L Dimitrov, B Risk, B Ku, A Huels	02/18/2025
Exposure profiles of social-environmental neighborhood factors and persistent distressing psychotic-like experiences across four years among young adolescents in the US. Psychological medicine	BS Ku, QE Yuan, G Christensen, LV Dimitrov, B Risk, A Huels	02/17/2025
Associations between prenatal exposure to environmental phenols and child neurodevelopment at two years of age in a South African birth cohort. Environmental research	T Zhou, S Abrishamcar, G Christensen, SM Eick, DB Barr, A Vanker, N Hoffman, KA Donald, CJ Wedderburn, SS Andra, RO Wright, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	01/01/2025
Development of a metabolomic risk score for exposure to traffic-related air pollution: A multi-cohort study. Environmental research	SS Hoffman, AN Lane, AJ Gaskins, S Ebelt, T Tug, V Tran, DP Jones, D Liang, A Hüls	12/15/2024
Cesarean delivery and blood DNA methylation at birth and childhood: Meta-analysis in the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics Consortium. Science advances	S Wang, E Casey, J Sordillo, S Aguilar-Lacasaña, F Morales Berstein, RJ Biedrzycki, S Brescianini, S Chen, A Hough, E Isaevska, WJ Kim, M Lecorguillé, SS Li, CM Page, J Park, S Röder, K Salontaji, G Santorelli, Y Sun, S Won, E Zillich, L Zillich, I Annesi-Maesano, SH Arshad, M Bustamante, CAM Cecil, HR Elliott, S Ewart, JF Felix, L Gagliardi, SE Håberg, G Herberth, B Heude, JW Holloway, A Huels, W Karmaus, GH Koppelman, SJ London, SL Mumford, L Nisticò, M Popovic, F Rusconi, EF Schisterman, DJ Stein, T Send, H Tiemeier, JM Vonk, M Vrijheid, JL Wiemels, SH Witt, J Wright, EH Yeung, HJ Zar, AC Zenclussen, H Zhang, JE Chavarro, MF Hivert	11/29/2024
Investigating interaction effects of social risk factors and exposure to air pollution on pediatric lymphoma cancer in Georgia, United States. Spatial and spatio-temporal epidemiology	T Unseld, K Ickstadt, K Ward, JM Switchenko, HH Chang, A Hüls	11/01/2024
Association between maternal perinatal stress and depression and infant DNA methylation in the first year of life. Translational psychiatry	S Abrishamcar, BC Zhuang, M Thomas, N Gladish, JL MacIsaac, MJ Jones, E Simons, TJ Moraes, PJ Mandhane, JR Brook, P Subbarao, SE Turvey, E Chen, GE Miller, MS Kobor, A Hüls	10/22/2024
Joint effects of indoor air pollution and maternal psychosocial factors during pregnancy on trajectories of early childhood psychopathology. American journal of epidemiology	GM Christensen, M Marcus, A Vanker, SM Eick, S Malcolm-Smith, SF Suglia, HH Chang, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	10/07/2024
Maternal age is related to offspring DNA methylation: A meta-analysis of results from the PACE consortium. Aging cell	E Yeung, RJ Biedrzycki, LC Gómez Herrera, P Issarapu, J Dou, IF Marques, SR Mansuri, CM Page, J Harbs, D Khodasevich, E Poisel, Z Niu, C Allard, E Casey, FM Berstein, G Mancano, HR Elliott, R Richmond, Y He, J Ronkainen, S Sebert, EM Bell, G Sharp, SL Mumford, EF Schisterman, GR Chandak, CHD Fall, SA Sahariah, MJ Silver, AM Prentice, L Bouchard, M Domellof, C West, N Holland, A Cardenas, B Eskenazi, L Zillich, SH Witt, T Send, C Breton, KM Bakulski, MD Fallin, RJ Schmidt, DJ Stein, HJ Zar, VWV Jaddoe, J Wright, R Grazuleviciene, KB Gutzkow, J Sunyer, A Huels, M Vrijheid, S Harlid, S London, MF Hivert, J Felix, M Bustamante, W Guan	08/01/2024
Joint effects of prenatal exposure to indoor air pollution and psychosocial factors on early life inflammation. Environmental research	GM Christensen, M Marcus, PJW Naudé, A Vanker, SM Eick, WM Caudle, S Malcolm-Smith, SF Suglia, HH Chang, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	07/01/2024
Prenatal exposure to persistent and non-persistent chemical mixtures and associations with adverse birth outcomes in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology	SM Eick, Y Tan, KR Taibl, P Barry Ryan, DB Barr, A Hüls, JA Eatman, P Panuwet, PE D'Souza, V Yakimavets, GE Lee, PA Brennan, EJ Corwin, AL Dunlop, D Liang	07/01/2024
Maximizing Insights from Longitudinal Epigenetic Age Data: Simulations, Applications, and Practical Guidance. Research square	A Großbach, MJ Suderman, A Hüls, AA Lussier, ADAC Smith, E Walton, EC Dunn, AJ Simpkin	06/20/2024
Joint effects of air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic status on cognitive decline - Mediation by depression, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. The Science of the total environment	Y Mei, GM Christensen, Z Li, LA Waller, S Ebelt, M Marcus, JJ Lah, AP Wingo, TS Wingo, A Hüls	05/01/2024
The association between neighborhood deprivation and DNA methylation in an autopsy cohort. Aging	L Pett, Z Li, S Abrishamcar, K Hodge, T Everson, G Christensen, M Gearing, MS Kobor, C Konwar, JL MacIsaac, K Dever, AP Wingo, A Levey, JJ Lah, TS Wingo, A Hüls	04/24/2024
Association between Maternal Perinatal Stress and Depression on Infant DNA Methylation in the First Year of Life. Research square	S Abrishamcar, B Zhuang, M Thomas, N Gladish, J MacIsaac, M Jones, E Simons, T Moraes, P Mandhane, J Brook, P Subbarao, S Turvey, E Chen, G Miller, M Kobor, A Huels	03/21/2024
Association of PM_2.5 Exposure and Alzheimer Disease Pathology in Brain Bank Donors-Effect Modification by APOE Genotype. Neurology	GM Christensen, Z Li, D Liang, S Ebelt, M Gearing, AI Levey, JJ Lah, A Wingo, T Wingo, A Hüls	03/12/2024
Pruning and thresholding approach for methylation risk scores in multi-ancestry populations. Epigenetics	J Chen, E Gatev, T Everson, KN Conneely, N Koen, MP Epstein, MS Kobor, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	12/01/2023
Epigenome-wide meta-analysis of prenatal maternal stressful life events and newborn DNA methylation. Molecular psychiatry	A Kotsakis Ruehlmann, S Sammallahti, AP Cortés Hidalgo, KM Bakulski, EB Binder, ML Campbell, D Caramaschi, CAM Cecil, E Colicino, C Cruceanu, D Czamara, L Dieckmann, J Dou, JF Felix, J Frank, SE Håberg, G Herberth, TT Hoang, LC Houtepen, A Hüls, N Koen, SJ London, MC Magnus, G Mancano, RH Mulder, CM Page, K Räikkönen, S Röder, RJ Schmidt, TS Send, G Sharp, DJ Stein, F Streit, J Tuhkanen, SH Witt, HJ Zar, AC Zenclussen, Y Zhang, L Zillich, R Wright, J Lahti, KJ Brunst	12/01/2023
Metabolic Perturbations Associated with an Exposure Mixture of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. Environmental science & technology	D Liang, KR Taibl, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, PB Ryan, T Everson, A Huels, Y Tan, P Panuwet, K Kannan, C Marsit, DP Jones, SM Eick	10/31/2023
Intergenerational transmission of trauma: A biological perspective. Journal of traumatic stress	T Jovanovic, A Roberts, A Huels	08/01/2023
Differential DNA Methylation in the Brain as Potential Mediator of the Association between Traffic-related PM_2.5 and Neuropathology Markers of Alzheimer's Disease. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences	Z Li, D Liang, S Ebelt, M Gearing, MS Kobor, C Konwar, JL Maclsaac, K Dever, A Wingo, A Levey, JJ Lah, T Wingo, A Huels	06/30/2023
Genetic Variants in Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Contribute to Solar Lentigines. The Journal of investigative dermatology	Q Peng, Y Liu, A Huels, C Zhang, Y Yu, W Qiu, X Cai, Y Zhao, T Schikowski, K Merches, Y Liu, Y Yang, J Wang, Y Zhao, L Jin, L Zhang, J Krutmann, S Wang	06/01/2023
Improvement of air quality has a positive impact on lung growth, particularly during puberty. The European respiratory journal	A Hüls	05/01/2023
Fine particulate air pollution and neuropathology markers of Alzheimer's disease in donors with and without APOE ε4 alleles - results from an autopsy cohort. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences	GM Christensen, Z Li, D Liang, S Ebelt, M Gearing, AI Levey, JJ Lah, AP Wingo, TS Wingo, A Huels	04/07/2023
DNA methylation and general psychopathology in childhood: an epigenome-wide meta-analysis from the PACE consortium. Molecular psychiatry	J Rijlaarsdam, M Cosin-Tomas, L Schellhas, S Abrishamcar, A Malmberg, A Neumann, JF Felix, J Sunyer, KB Gutzkow, R Grazuleviciene, J Wright, M Kampouri, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, K Heinonen, K Räikkönen, J Lahti, A Hüls, D Caramaschi, S Alemany, CAM Cecil	03/01/2023
DNA methylation as a potential mediator of the association between indoor air pollution and neurodevelopmental delay in a South African birth cohort. Clinical epigenetics	D Feil, S Abrishamcar, GM Christensen, A Vanker, N Koen, A Kilanowski, N Hoffman, CJ Wedderburn, KA Donald, MS Kobor, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	02/28/2023
Estimating the Relative Contribution of Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors to Different Aging Traits by Combining Correlated Variables into Weighted Risk Scores. International journal of environmental research and public health	C Wigmann, A Hüls, J Krutmann, T Schikowski	12/13/2022
Opioid medication use and blood DNA methylation: epigenome-wide association meta-analysis. Epigenomics	M Lee, R Joehanes, DL McCartney, M Kho, A Hüls, AB Wyss, C Liu, RM Walker, SL R Kardia, TS Wingo, A Burkholder, J Ma, A Campbell, AP Wingo, T Huan, S Sikdar, A Keshawarz, DA Bennett, JA Smith, KL Evans, D Levy, SJ London	12/01/2022
Invited Perspective: Challenges and Opportunities for Missing Data in the Context of Environmental Mixture Methods. Environmental health perspectives	SM Eick, A Hüls	11/01/2022
Association of exposure to ambient particulate matter with maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy. Environmental research	X Zhang, A Huels, R Makuch, A Zhou, T Zheng, W Xia, A Gaskins, J Makuch, Z Zhu, C Zhu, Z Qian, S Xu, Y Li	11/01/2022
Newborn differential DNA methylation and subcortical brain volumes as early signs of severe neurodevelopmental delay in a South African Birth Cohort Study. The world journal of biological psychiatry : the official journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry	A Hüls, CJ Wedderburn, NA Groenewold, N Gladish, MJ Jones, N Koen, JL MacIsaac, DTS Lin, KE Ramadori, MP Epstein, KA Donald, MS Kobor, HJ Zar, DJ Stein	10/01/2022
DNA methylation as a potential mediator of the association between prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposure and child neurodevelopment in a South African birth cohort. Translational psychiatry	S Abrishamcar, J Chen, D Feil, A Kilanowski, N Koen, A Vanker, CJ Wedderburn, KA Donald, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	09/30/2022
DNA methylation and aeroallergen sensitization: The chicken or the egg? Clinical epigenetics	A Kilanowski, SK Merid, S Abrishamcar, D Feil, E Thiering, M Waldenberger, E Melén, A Peters, M Standl, A Hüls	09/16/2022
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma gene variants modify human airway and systemic responses to indoor dibutyl phthalate exposure. Respiratory research	C Leung, MH Ryu, AK Bølling, D Maestre-Batlle, CF Rider, A Hüls, O Urtatiz, JL MacIsaac, KS Lau, DTS Lin, MS Kobor, C Carlsten	09/16/2022
Methylation risk scores for childhood aeroallergen sensitization: Results from the LISA birth cohort. Allergy	A Kilanowski, J Chen, T Everson, E Thiering, R Wilson, N Gladish, M Waldenberger, H Zhang, JC Celedón, EG Burchard, A Peters, M Standl, A Hüls	09/01/2022
The complex relationship of air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic status and their association with cognitive decline. Environment international	GM Christensen, Z Li, J Pearce, M Marcus, JJ Lah, LA Waller, S Ebelt, A Hüls	09/01/2022
Neighborhood characteristics as confounders and effect modifiers for the association between air pollution exposure and subjective cognitive functioning. Environmental research	Z Li, GM Christensen, JJ Lah, M Marcus, AG Russell, S Ebelt, LA Waller, A Hüls	09/01/2022
In-utero exposure to indoor air pollution or tobacco smoke and cognitive development in a South African birth cohort study. The Science of the total environment	GM Christensen, C Rowcliffe, J Chen, A Vanker, N Koen, MJ Jones, N Gladish, N Hoffman, KA Donald, CJ Wedderburn, MS Kobor, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	08/15/2022
Differences in clinical presentation, severity, and treatment of COVID-19 among individuals with Down syndrome from India and high-income countries: Data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society survey. Journal of global health	H Pinku, A Hüls, PT Feany, N Baumer, M Dierssen, S Bargagna, AC Costa, BA Chicoine, AS Rebillat, G Sgandurra, D Valentini, RT Rohrer, J Levin, M Lakhanpaul, A Carfì, SL Sherman, A Strydom, S Ghosh	08/08/2022
COVID-19 Vaccination of Individuals with Down Syndrome-Data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society Survey on Safety, Efficacy, and Factors Associated with the Decision to Be Vaccinated. Vaccines	A Hüls, PT Feany, SI Zisman, ACS Costa, M Dierssen, R Balogh, S Bargagna, NT Baumer, AC Brandão, A Carfi, BA Chicoine, S Ghosh, M Lakhanpaul, J Levin, Y Lunsky, C Manso, E Okun, D Real de Asua, AS Rebillat, TR Rohrer, G Sgandurra, D Valentini, SL Sherman, A Strydom, null On Behalf Of The Trisomy Research Society Covid-Initiative	03/29/2022
Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. The Lancet. Neurology	ACS Costa, AC Brandão, R Boada, VL Barrionuevo, HG Taylor, E Roth, MR Stasko, MW Johnson, FF Assir, MP Roberto, P Salmona, G Abreu-Silveira, I Bederman, E Prendergast, A Hüls, S Abrishamcar, Z Mustacchi, T Scheidemantel, NJ Roizen, S Ruedrich	01/01/2022
Association between maternal depression during pregnancy and newborn DNA methylation. Translational psychiatry	E Drzymalla, N Gladish, N Koen, MP Epstein, MS Kobor, HJ Zar, DJ Stein, A Hüls	11/08/2021
COVID-19 in Children with Down Syndrome: Data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society Survey. Journal of clinical medicine	D Emes, A Hüls, N Baumer, M Dierssen, S Puri, L Russell, SL Sherman, A Strydom, S Bargagna, AC Brandão, ACS Costa, PT Feany, BA Chicoine, S Ghosh, AS Rebillat, G Sgandurra, D Valentini, TR Rohrer, J Levin, M Lakhanpaul, null On Behalf Of The Trisomy Research Society Covid-Initiative Study Group	10/31/2021
Comparison of COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Pneumonia in Down Syndrome. Journal of clinical medicine	D Real de Asua, MA Mayer, MDC Ortega, JM Borrel, TJ Bermejo, D González-Lamuño, C Manso, F Moldenhauer, M Carmona-Iragui, A Hüls, SL Sherman, A Strydom, R de la Torre, M Dierssen	08/23/2021
Polygenic risk for obesity and its interaction with lifestyle and sociodemographic factors in European children and adolescents. International journal of obesity (2005)	A Hüls, MN Wright, LH Bogl, J Kaprio, L Lissner, D Molnár, LA Moreno, S De Henauw, A Siani, T Veidebaum, W Ahrens, I Pigeot, R Foraita	06/01/2021
Medical vulnerability of individuals with Down syndrome to severe COVID-19-data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society and the UK ISARIC4C survey. EClinicalMedicine	A Hüls, ACS Costa, M Dierssen, RA Baksh, S Bargagna, NT Baumer, AC Brandão, A Carfi, M Carmona-Iragui, BA Chicoine, S Ghosh, M Lakhanpaul, C Manso, MA Mayer, MDC Ortega, DR de Asua, AS Rebillat, LA Russell, G Sgandurra, D Valentini, SL Sherman, A Strydom	03/01/2021
Impact of Environmental Injustice on Children's Health-Interaction between Air Pollution and Socioeconomic Status. International journal of environmental research and public health	S Mathiarasan, A Hüls	01/19/2021
An international survey on the impact of COVID-19 in individuals with Down syndrome. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences	A Hüls, ACS Costa, M Dierssen, RA Baksh, S Bargagna, NT Baumer, AC Brandão, A Carfi, M Carmona-Iragui, BA Chicoine, S Ghosh, M Lakhanpaul, C Manso, MA Mayer, M Del Carmen Ortega, DR de Asua, AS Rebillat, LA Russell, G Sgandurra, D Valentini, SL Sherman, A Strydom	11/05/2020
Association between DNA methylation levels in brain tissue and late-life depression in community-based participants. Translational psychiatry	A Hüls, C Robins, KN Conneely, PL De Jager, DA Bennett, MP Epstein, TS Wingo, AP Wingo	07/30/2020
Air pollution is associated with depressive symptoms in elderly women with cognitive impairment. Environment international	H Altuğ, KB Fuks, A Hüls, AK Mayer, R Tham, J Krutmann, T Schikowski	03/01/2020
Genetic susceptibility to asthma increases the vulnerability to indoor air pollution. The European respiratory journal	A Hüls, A Vanker, D Gray, N Koen, JL MacIsaac, DTS Lin, KE Ramadori, PD Sly, DJ Stein, MS Kobor, HJ Zar	03/01/2020