Donghai Liang, PhD, MPH

Research Program

Cancer Prevention and Control
Phone Number

404-712-9583
Email Address

donghai.liang@emory.edu

Biography

Donghai Liang, PhD, MPH, is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Dr. Liang is broadly trained in exposure science and molecular epidemiology with strong expertise in air pollution assessment and health research, high-throughput data analysis and omics-based technologies.

Dr. Liang is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He is also a faculty member of the Emory HERCULES Exposome Research Center and Emory's Children's Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR) Laboratory Hub.

Education

Dr. Liang received his MPH in Environmental Health Sciences from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. He earned his PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, Georgia.

Titles & Roles

Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health

Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Research

Dr. Liang's research focuses on health effects associated with air pollution and persistent organic pollutant using exposure assessment and high-resolution metabolomics.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Prenatal PFAS exposure and outcomes related to maternal gut microbiome composition in later pregnancy. Environmental research	S Morgan, SH Raza Shah, SS Comstock, JM Goodrich, D Liang, Y Tan, K McKee, D Ruden, AR Sitarik, AE Cassidy-Bushrow, AL Dunlop, MC Petriello	08/15/2025
Unraveling the Molecular Links between Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Early Birth Risks in African American Mothers: A Metabolomics Study in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. Environmental science & technology	Z Li, AL Dunlop, JA Sarnat, A Hüls, SM Eick, A Gaskins, H Chang, A Russell, Y Tan, H Cheng, DB Barr, AK Smith, C Marsit, DP Jones, D Liang	05/29/2025
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
Housing characteristics, dietary patterns, and sociodemographic characteristics as predictors of persistent organic pollutant exposure among African American pregnant women in Atlanta. Environmental research	K Ortlund, M Chandler, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, PB Ryan, D Liang, PA Brennan, M Buhr, EJ Corwin, P Panuwet, GE Lee, J Eatman, Y Tan, N Sehgal, SM Eick	05/01/2025
Impact of prenatal phthalate exposure on newborn metabolome and infant neurodevelopment. Nature communications	SS Hoffman, Z Tang, A Dunlop, PA Brennan, T Huynh, SM Eick, DB Barr, B Rushing, SL McRitchie, S Sumner, KR Taibl, Y Tan, P Panuwet, GE Lee, J Eatman, EJ Corwin, PB Ryan, DP Jones, D Liang	04/02/2025
Oxidative gaseous air pollutant exposure interacts with PNPLA3-I148M genotype to influence liver fat fraction and multi-omics profiles in young adults. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)	WB Patterson, ND Young, EA Holzhausen, F Lurmann, D Liang, DI Walker, DP Jones, J Liao, Z Chen, DV Conti, L Chatzi, JA Goodrich, TL Alderete	03/01/2025
Racial and ethnic differences in prenatal exposure to environmental phenols and parabens in the ECHO Cohort. Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology	MS Bloom, S Upadhyaya, AW Nzegwu, JR Kuiper, JP Buckley, J Aschner, D Barr, ES Barrett, DH Bennett, D Dabelea, AL Dunlop, A Fuller, M Karagas, D Liang, J Meeker, R Miller, TG O'Connor, ME Romano, S Sathyanarayana, AP Starling, A Stroustrup, DJ Watkins	02/15/2025
Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying the Association Between the Profertility Diet and In Vitro Fertilization End Points. The Journal of nutrition	RB Hood, D Liang, Y Wang, Y Tan, I Souter, DP Jones, R Hauser, JE Chavarro, AJ Gaskins	02/01/2025
Metabolomics Signatures of Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution: A Large-Scale Metabolome-Wide Association Study in the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. Environmental science & technology	D Liang, Z Tang, WR Diver, JA Sarnat, SS Chow, H Cheng, EL Deubler, Y Tan, SM Eick, M Jerrett, MC Turner, Y Wang	01/14/2025
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
Ambient air pollution and survival in childhood cancer: A nationwide survival analysis. Cancer	PE George, J Zhao, D Liang, LM Nogueira	11/15/2024
A Prospective Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Early Pregnancy to Delivery in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. Environmental health perspectives	Y Tan, SM Eick, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, KR Taibl, K Steenland, K Kannan, M Robinson, CJ Chang, P Panuwet, V Yakimavets, CJ Marsit, PB Ryan, D Liang	11/01/2024
Dietaryindex: a user-friendly and versatile R package for standardizing dietary pattern analysis in epidemiological and clinical studies. The American journal of clinical nutrition	JJ Zhan, RA Hodge, AL Dunlop, MM Lee, L Bui, D Liang, EP Ferranti	11/01/2024
Maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety as modifiers of the relationship between prenatal phthalate exposure and infant neurodevelopment in the Atlanta African American maternal-child cohort. Brain, behavior, & immunity - health	K Springer, JA Eatman, PA Brennan, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, P Panuwet, PB Ryan, E Corwin, KR Taibl, Y Tan, SS Hoffman, D Liang, SM Eick	10/01/2024
Association of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with the antioxidant bilirubin across pregnancy. Free radical biology & medicine	KR Taibl, AL Dunlop, MR Smith, DI Walker, PB Ryan, P Panuwet, EJ Corwin, K Kannan, DP Jones, CJ Marsit, Y Tan, D Liang, SM Eick, DB Barr	10/01/2024
Longitudinal Renal Function Degradation Among Florida Agricultural Workers. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine	RC Chicas, L Elon, N Xiuhtecutli, D Liang, MC Houser, T Mwarumba, L Berra, V Hertzberg, JM Sands, L McCauley	09/01/2024
Prenatal and Early Life Exposure to Ambient Air Pollutants Is Associated with the Fecal Metabolome in the First Two Years of Life. Environmental science & technology	EA Holzhausen, BN Chalifour, Y Tan, N Young, F Lurmann, DP Jones, JA Sarnat, HH Chang, MI Goran, D Liang, TL Alderete	08/13/2024
The associations between pre-conception urinary phthalate concentrations, the serum metabolome, and live birth among women undergoing assisted reproduction. Environmental research	RB Hood, J Nelson, L Minguez-Alarcon, JB Ford, R Hauser, D Jones, D Liang, AJ Gaskins	07/01/2024
Lung cancer metabolomics: a pooled analysis in the Cancer Prevention Studies. BMC medicine	Z Tang, D Liang, EL Deubler, JA Sarnat, SS Chow, WR Diver, Y Wang	06/24/2024
Corrigendum to "Exposure to phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A, and psychosocial stress mixtures and pregnancy outcomes in the Atlanta African American maternal-child cohort" [Environ. Res. 233, 15 September 2023, 116464]. Environmental research	JA Eatman, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, EJ Corwin, CC Hill, PA Brennan, PB Ryan, P Panuwet, KR Taibl, Y Tan, D Liang, SM Eick	06/15/2024
Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and associations with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort. Chemosphere	M Thompson, JA Eatman, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, K Kannan, EJ Corwin, PB Ryan, P Panuwet, V Yakimavets, KR Taibl, Y Tan, D Liang, SM Eick	06/01/2024
Human Milk Composition Is Associated with Maternal Body Mass Index in a Cross-Sectional, Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Human Milk from Guatemalan Mothers. Current developments in nutrition	K Sivalogan, D Liang, C Accardi, A Diaz-Artiga, X Hu, E Mollinedo, U Ramakrishnan, SN Teeny, V Tran, TF Clasen, LM Thompson, SS Sinharoy	05/01/2024
Association of prenatal chlorpyrifos exposure with sexually dimorphic differences in anogenital distance among Thai farmworker children. Environmental research	T Dang, N Sehgal, DB Barr, P Panuwet, D Liang, M Smarr, W Naksen, N Fiedler, N Promkam, T Prapamontol, P Suttiwan, S Sittiwang, SM Eick	05/01/2024
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. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association	Z Li, D Liang, S Ebelt, M Gearing, MS Kobor, C Konwar, JL Maclsaac, K Dever, AP Wingo, AI Levey, JJ Lah, TS Wingo, A Hüls	04/01/2024
Association between Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease among a Cognitively Healthy Population-Based Cohort. Environmental health perspectives	E Casey, Z Li, D Liang, S Ebelt, AI Levey, JJ Lah, TS Wingo, A Hüls	04/01/2024
Phthalate exposure increases interferon-γ during pregnancy: The Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. The Science of the total environment	KR Taibl, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, PB Ryan, P Panuwet, EJ Corwin, JA Eatman, Y Tan, D Liang, SM Eick	03/15/2024
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
Metabolomic data presents challenges for epidemiological meta-analysis: a case study of childhood body mass index from the ECHO consortium. Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society	N Prince, D Liang, Y Tan, A Alshawabkeh, EE Angel, SA Busgang, SH Chu, JF Cordero, P Curtin, AL Dunlop, D Gilbert-Diamond, C Giulivi, AG Hoen, MR Karagas, D Kirchner, AA Litonjua, J Manjourides, S McRitchie, JD Meeker, W Pathmasiri, W Perng, RJ Schmidt, DJ Watkins, ST Weiss, MS Zens, Y Zhu, JA Lasky-Su, RS Kelly	01/24/2024
Serum and follicular fluid metabolome and markers of ovarian stimulation. Human reproduction (Oxford, England)	RB Hood, D Liang, Y Tan, JB Ford, I Souter, JE Chavarro, DP Jones, R Hauser, AJ Gaskins	11/02/2023
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
The impact of heat exposures on biomarkers of AKI and plasma metabolome among agricultural and non-agricultural workers. Environment international	RC Chicas, Y Wang, E Jennifer Weil, L Elon, N Xiuhtecutli, M C Houser, DP Jones, J M Sands, V Hertzberg, L McCauley, D Liang	10/01/2023
Assessing Metabolic Differences Associated with Exposure to Polybrominated Biphenyl and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Michigan PBB Registry. Environmental health perspectives	SS Hoffman, D Liang, RB Hood, Y Tan, ML Terrell, ME Marder, H Barton, MA Pearson, DI Walker, DB Barr, DP Jones, M Marcus	10/01/2023
Environmental health perceptions of urban youth from low-income communities: A qualitative photovoice study and framework. Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy	NL Sprague, HM Zonnevylle, L Jackson Hall, R Williams, H Dains, D Liang, CC Ekenga	10/01/2023
Exposure to phthalate metabolites, bisphenol A, and psychosocial stress mixtures and pregnancy outcomes in the Atlanta African American maternal-child cohort. Environmental research	JA Eatman, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, EJ Corwin, CC Hill, PA Brennan, PB Ryan, P Panuwet, KR Taibl, Y Tan, D Liang, SM Eick	09/15/2023
Association between a Mixture of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort. Environmental science & technology	Y Tan, KR Taibl, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, P Panuwet, V Yakimavets, K Kannan, EJ Corwin, PB Ryan, JA Eatman, D Liang, SM Eick	09/12/2023
Dietaryindex: A User-Friendly and Versatile R Package for Standardizing Dietary Pattern Analysis in Epidemiological and Clinical Studies. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology	JJ Zhan, RA Hodge, AL Dunlop, MM Lee, L Bui, D Liang, EP Ferranti	08/09/2023
Saliva and Exhaled Breath Condensate Correlate With Serum in 4-12-Year-Olds Exposed to Secondhand Electronic Cigarette Vapors: A Pilot Study. Biological research for nursing	J Rodriguez, D Liang, R Tchen, I Yang	07/01/2023
Invited Perspective: Application of Nontargeted Analysis in Characterizing the Maternal and Child Exposome. Environmental health perspectives	D Liang, DI Walker	07/01/2023
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
Newborn metabolomic signatures of maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and reduced length of gestation. Nature communications	KR Taibl, AL Dunlop, DB Barr, YY Li, SM Eick, K Kannan, PB Ryan, M Schroder, B Rushing, T Fennell, CJ Chang, Y Tan, CJ Marsit, DP Jones, D Liang	05/30/2023
Urinary oxidative stress biomarkers are associated with preterm birth: an Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program study. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology	SM Eick, SD Geiger, A Alshawabkeh, M Aung, ES Barrett, N Bush, KN Carroll, JF Cordero, DE Goin, KK Ferguson, LG Kahn, D Liang, JD Meeker, GL Milne, RHN Nguyen, AM Padula, S Sathyanarayana, KR Taibl, SL Schantz, TJ Woodruff, R Morello-Frosch	05/01/2023
A State-of-the-Science Review on High-Resolution Metabolomics Application in Air Pollution Health Research: Current Progress, Analytical Challenges, and Recommendations for Future Direction. Environmental health perspectives	D Liang, Z Li, J Vlaanderen, Z Tang, DP Jones, R Vermeulen, JA Sarnat	05/01/2023
Respiratory Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Randomized, Crossover Analysis of Lung Function, Airway Metabolome, and Biomarkers of Airway Injury. Environmental health perspectives	X Zhu, Q Zhang, X Du, Y Jiang, Y Niu, Y Wei, Y Zhang, SN Chillrud, D Liang, H Li, R Chen, H Kan, J Cai	05/01/2023
Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Childhood Autism-related Outcomes. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)	JL Ames, M Burjak, LA Avalos, JM Braun, CM Bulka, LA Croen, AL Dunlop, A Ferrara, RC Fry, MM Hedderson, MR Karagas, D Liang, PD Lin, K Lyall, B Moore, R Morello-Frosch, TG O'Connor, J Oh, AM Padula, TJ Woodruff, Y Zhu, GB Hamra	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
The potential role of early life feeding patterns in shaping the infant fecal metabolome: implications for neurodevelopmental outcomes. npj metabolic health and disease	B Chalifour, EA Holzhausen, JJ Lim, EN Yeo, N Shen, DP Jones, BS Peterson, MI Goran, D Liang, TL Alderete	01/01/2023
Characterizing the follicular fluid metabolome: quantifying the correlation across follicles and differences with the serum metabolome. Fertility and sterility	RB Hood, D Liang, Y Tan, J Ford, I Souter, DP Jones, R Hauser, AJ Gaskins	11/01/2022