Dr Sathyanarayana

Sheela Sathyanarayana, MPH, MD

Professor
Email: sathyana@uw.edu
Expertise: Sustainable Communities, COVID-19, Children's Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Justice, Toxicology

About

Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana is a Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She conducts research focused on endocrine disrupting chemicals in plastics, including phthalates and bisphenol A in pregnancy and childhood health outcomes. She serves as the PI for The Infant Development and Environment Study, a multi-center cohort study of phthalate exposures in pregnancy and health outcomes in children. She is also MPI of the ECHO PATHWAYS study at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute, a 35 million dollar initiative to bring together three cohorts to examine chemical and non-chemical stressors in relation child health outcomes. She has served as the chair for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee and served on the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Low Dose Toxicity. She was also a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals that advises EPA on risk assessments related to the Toxic Substances Control Act. She is the Medical Director of the Newborn Nursery and performs consults through the UW Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.

She teaches guest lectures with DEOHS, mentors students in the ECHO PATHWAYS program, and collaborates with Dr Karr on multiple grants. 

Education

  • MPH, University of Washington
  • MD, University of Southern California

Affiliations

Department of Pediatrics

Mentorship

 Please follow the instructions on the How To Apply page.

DEOHS Students Mentored

Maternal urinary phthalates in relation to gestational diabetes and glucose intolerance during pregnancy
Rachel M. Shaffer | MPH | 2018 | View

Research

Research Interests:

Environmental Endocrine Disruptors, Pediatric Environmental Health, Reproductive Toxicology, Birth defects. In utero and early life exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) and their impact on child reproductive development

Publications

SEE PUBLICATIONS LIST

Media Mentions

F.D.A. Releases results from major infant formula safety study
April 29, 2026 | The New York Times | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
New FDA analysis says US infant formula supply is safe after testing for potential contaminants
April 29, 2026 | WSLS | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
The plastics around us
March 9, 2026 | UW Magazine | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
Ask a doctor: Microplastics edition
November 17, 2025 | KUOW | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
Your kitchen is full of microplastics. Here's how to eat less of them
September 22, 2025 | BBC | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about
September 4, 2025 | The Washington Post | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
Is the FDA doing enough about food additives?
July 27, 2025 | Newsweek | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
Researchers tested 200 toddlers — 96 chemicals were lurking in their bodies
| https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250701234739.htm | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana, Catherine Karr | View
Kennedy wants to ban some food dyes. Here’s what the data shows
April 25, 2025 | The New York Times | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View
Climate Issue 2025: Ask Drippy, the soggy paper straw
April 14, 2025 | The Stranger | Featured: Sheela Sathyanarayana | View