MDI Biological Laboratory
Associate Professor

Jane E. Disney, Ph.D.

Is PFAS-contaminated drinking water in rural schools a primary source of PFAS exposure for Maine students? Are blood PFAS levels associated with neurobehavioral and cardiometabolic health in these children?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” are soil, surface water, and groundwater contaminants found in many areas of the U.S. and around the world. They are used in various consumer products, such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpeting, floor waxes, and detergents. In a nationwide study of private and public drinking water sources, at least one forever chemical was found in 45% of samples. These chemicals are known to adversely affect human health, causing a litany of health problems, including changes in cholesterol, problems with the immune system, and increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer.

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Other Research Activities

In addition to PFAS research, Dr. Disney is interested in educational approaches to public health improvement. Over the past seven years, she has been the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant. To date, 41 teachers from 35 schools across Maine and New Hampshire have involved over 5000 students in the project. Students are engaged as citizen scientists in collecting drinking water samples for analysis of arsenic and other toxic metals. Their findings have informed public health interventions and inspired other education and human health research.

As an outgrowth of this project, the Community Lab is collaborating with researchers across multiple disciplines to understand the seasonality of arsenic and other metals in well water. Heavy metals can contaminate private wells through geogenic sources and surface water seepage and run-off after storm events. People who are exposed to heavy metals via their well water risk acute and chronic toxicity, liver, kidney, and intestinal damage, and cancer. Through repeated visits to well owners, we have compared well water “toxic metal fingerprints” over time and spatial scales and discovered that every well has its own story. Homeowners must know their “well story” to implement the most appropriate mitigation measures to prevent toxic metal exposure and related diseases.

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Education

  • Ph.D., Washington State University, Zoology, 1988
  • M.S., Pennsylvania State University, Genetics, 1984
  • B.S., Pennsylvania State University, Biology, 1982

Lab Members

Richard Hilliard, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Researcher

Richard Hilliard is an environmental engineer and postdoctoral researcher in the Community Lab. He focuses on PFAS transport and mitigation projects and in engaging communities to address PFAS concerns.

Caitlin Oliver-OlsenSEPA Program Coordinator and Research Manager

Caitlin Oliver-Olsen is the SEPA Program Coordinator and Research Manager at the Community Lab and is involved in project management, data collection and community engagement. She also manages research projects in the lab.

Ragan HedstromSEPA Education Specialist

Ragan Hedstrom is the SEPA Education Specialist. She provides direct support for teachers in the program and participates in curriculum development and project assessment.

Cait BaileySystems Developer and Development Lead @Anecdata.org

Cait Bailey is the Systems Developer at MDI Biological Laboratory and participates in multiple Community Lab grants. She develops data collection and analysis tools for Anecdata.org, a citizen science data portal that provides data management and sharing capability for all projects at the Community Lab.

Emma McDonaldAmeriCorps Environmental Steward

Emma McDonald is a recent graduate of George Mason University in Environmental Science and an AmeriCorps Environmental Steward in the Community Lab, focusing on PFAS mitigation and community engagement.