Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH

Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH

Environmental Medicine, General Pediatrics

On staff since October 2005

Children's Title: Attending Physician

Academic Title: Professor

Research Title: Principal Investigator

Research Center: Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development

"Understanding how environmental chemicals can affect children's health and development is my primary focus. I am also interested in how science can best inform policy to protect children's health."

  • Biography

    Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana is a Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct 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. This is a 35 million dollar initiative to bring together three cohorts to examine chemical and non-chemical stressors in relation to 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.

    • Related Pages

    • Sathyanarayana Lab

      Sathyanarayana Lab

      The Sathyanarayana Lab investigates how chemicals in our environment impact children, and develops ways to reduce chemical exposures and help families lead healthier lives.

  • Patient Testimonials

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  • Awards and Honors

    Award Name Award Description Awarded By Award Date
    Outstanding New Investigator Award Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health 2012
    Young Investigator Award Ambulatory Pediatrics Association 2007

  • Publications

    Other Publications

    • Stacy SL, Eliot M, Etzel T, Papandonatos G, Calafat AM, Chen A, Hauser R, Lanphear BP, Sathyanarayana S, Ye X, Yolton K, Braun JM
      Patterns, Variability, and Predictors of Urinary Triclosan Concentrations during Pregnancy and Childhood.
      28516781 Environmental science and technology, 2017 May 25
    • Pell T, Eliot M, Chen A, Lanphear BP, Yolton K, Sathyanarayana S, Braun JM
      Parental Concern about Environmental Chemical Exposures and Children's Urinary Concentrations of Phthalates and Phenols.
      28476460 The Journal of pediatrics, 2017 May 2
    • Sathyanarayana S, Butts S, Wang C, Barrett E, Nguyen R, Schwartz SM, Haaland W, Swan SH, TIDES team.
      Early Prenatal Phthalate Exposure, Sex Steroid Hormones, and Newborn Birth Outcomes.
      28324030 The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2017 Mar 9
    • Attina TM, Hauser R, Sathyanarayana S, Hunt PA, Bourguignon JP, Myers JP, DiGangi J, Zoeller RT, Trasande L
      Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the USA: a population-based disease burden and cost analysis.
      27765541 The lancet. Diabetes and endocrinology, 2016 Dec. : 4(12)996-1003
    • Hunt PA, Sathyanarayana S, Fowler PA, Trasande L
      Response to the Letter by G. M. H. Swaen and R. Otter.
      27809718 The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2016 Nov. : 101(11)L110-L111
    • Sathyanarayana S, Barrett E, Nguyen R, Redmon B, Haaland W, Swan SH
      First Trimester Phthalate Exposure and Infant Birth Weight in the Infant Development and Environment Study.
      27669283 International journal of environmental research and public health, 2016 Sep 23 : 13(10) PMCID:PMC5086684
    • Stacy SL, Eliot M, Calafat AM, Chen A, Lanphear BP, Hauser R, Papandonatos GD, Sathyanarayana S, Ye X, Yolton K, Braun JM
      Patterns, Variability, and Predictors of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentrations during Childhood.
      27152530 Environmental science and technology, 2016 Jun 7 : 50(11)5981-90
    • Hunt PA, Sathyanarayana S, Fowler PA, Trasande L
      Female Reproductive Disorders, Diseases, and Costs of Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the European Union.
      27003299 The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2016 April : 101(4)1562-70 PMCID:PMC4880176
    • Barrett ES, Parlett LE, Sathyanarayana S, Redmon JB, Nguyen RH, Swan SH
      Prenatal Stress as a Modifier of Associations between Phthalate Exposure and Reproductive Development: results from a Multicentre Pregnancy Cohort Study.
      26576028 Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, 2016 March : 30(2)105-14 PMCID:PMC4749428
    • Alur S, Wang H, Hoeger K, Swan SH, Sathyanarayana S, Redmon BJ, Nguyen R, Barrett ES
      Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in relation to history of infertility and use of assisted reproductive technology.
      26275821 Fertility and sterility, 2015 Nov. : 104(5)1227-35 PMCID:PMC4630141
    • Upson K, Sathyanarayana S, Scholes D, Holt VL
      Early-life factors and endometriosis risk.
      26211883 Fertility and sterility, 2015 Oct. : 104(4)964-971.e5 PMCID:PMC5328429
    • Adibi JJ, Lee MK, Naimi AI, Barrett E, Nguyen RH, Sathyanarayana S, Zhao Y, Thiet MP, Redmon JB, Swan SH
      Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Partially Mediates Phthalate Association With Male and Female Anogenital Distance.
      26200238 The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2015 Sept. : 100(9)E1216-24 PMCID:PMC4570159
    • Sathyanarayana S, Grady R, Redmon JB, Ivicek K, Barrett E, Janssen S, Nguyen R, Swan SH, TIDES Study Team.
      Anogenital distance and penile width measurements in The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES): methods and predictors.
      25824881 Journal of pediatric urology, 2015 April : 11(2)76.e1-6 PMCID:PMC4456209
    • Upson K, Sathyanarayana S, De Roos AJ, Koch HM, Scholes D, Holt VL
      A population-based case-control study of urinary bisphenol A concentrations and risk of endometriosis.
      25205760 Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 2014 Nov. : 29(11)2457-64 PMCID:PMC4191453
    • McKinney C, Rue T, Sathyanarayana S, Martin M, Seminario AL, DeRouen T
      Dental sealants and restorations and urinary bisphenol A concentrations in children in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
      24982281 Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 2014 July : 145(7)745-50 PMCID:PMC4667745
    • Serrano SE, Karr CJ, Seixas NS, Nguyen RH, Barrett ES, Janssen S, Redmon B, Swan SH, Sathyanarayana S
      Dietary phthalate exposure in pregnant women and the impact of consumer practices.
      24927036 International journal of environmental research and public health, 2014 Jun 12 : 11(6)6193-215 PMCID:PMC4078574
    • Serrano SE, Braun J, Trasande L, Dills R, Sathyanarayana S
      Phthalates and diet: a review of the food monitoring and epidemiology data.
      24894065 Environmental health : a global access science source, 2014 Jun 2 : 13(1)43 PMCID:PMC4050989
    • Barrett ES, Sathyanarayana S, Janssen S, Redmon JB, Nguyen RH, Kobrosly R, Swan SH, TIDES Study Team.
      Environmental health attitudes and behaviors: findings from a large pregnancy cohort study.
      24647207 European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, 2014 May : 176119-25 PMCID:PMC4001243
    • Sathyanarayana S, Barrett E, Butts S, Wang C, Swan SH
      Phthalate exposure and reproductive hormone concentrations in pregnancy.
      24196015 Reproduction (Cambridge, England), 2014 : 147(4)401-9 PMCID:PMC3943643
    • Trasande L, Sathyanarayana S, Trachtman H
      Dietary phthalates and low-grade albuminuria in US children and adolescents.
      24178978 Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN, 2014 Jan. : 9(1)100-9 PMCID:PMC3878700
    • Watkins DJ, Eliot M, Sathyanarayana S, Calafat AM, Yolton K, Lanphear BP, Braun JM
      Variability and predictors of urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites during early childhood.
      24977926 Environmental science and technology, 2014 : 48(15)8881-90 PMCID:PMC4123928
    • Upson K, De Roos AJ, Thompson ML, Sathyanarayana S, Scholes D, Barr DB, Holt VL
      Organochlorine pesticides and risk of endometriosis: findings from a population-based case-control study.
      24192044 Environmental health perspectives, 2013 Nov. : 121(11-12)1319-24 PMCID:PMC3855515
    • Trasande L, Sathyanarayana S, Jo Messito M, S Gross R, Attina TM, Mendelsohn AL
      Phthalates and the diets of U.S. children and adolescents.
      24041780 Environmental research, 2013 Oct. : 12684-90
    • Upson K, Sathyanarayana S, De Roos AJ, Thompson ML, Scholes D, Dills R, Holt VL
      Phthalates and risk of endometriosis.
      23890968 Environmental research, 2013 Oct. : 12691-7 PMCID:PMC3905445
    • Trasande L, Spanier AJ, Sathyanarayana S, Attina TM, Blustein J
      Urinary phthalates and increased insulin resistance in adolescents.
      23958772 Pediatrics, 2013 Sept. : 132(3)e646-55 PMCID:PMC4528350
    • Trasande L, Sathyanarayana S, Spanier AJ, Trachtman H, Attina TM, Urbina EM
      Urinary phthalates are associated with higher blood pressure in childhood.
      23706605 The Journal of pediatrics, 2013 Sept. : 163(3)747-53.e1 PMCID:PMC4074773
    • Sathyanarayana S, Alcedo G, Saelens BE, Zhou C, Dills RL, Yu J, Lanphear B
      Unexpected results in a randomized dietary trial to reduce phthalate and bisphenol A exposures.
      23443238 Journal of exposure science and environmental epidemiology, 2013 July : 23(4)378-84
    • Barrett ES, Parlett LE, Sathyanarayana S, Liu F, Redmon JB, Wang C, Swan SH
      Prenatal exposure to stressful life events is associated with masculinized anogenital distance (AGD) in female infants.
      23499769 Physiology and behavior, 2013 Apr 10 : 114-11514-20 PMCID:PMC3650607
    • Braun JM, Sathyanarayana S, Hauser R
      Phthalate exposure and children's health.
      23429708 Current opinion in pediatrics, 2013 April : 25(2)247-54 PMCID:PMC3747651
    • Trasande L, Attina TM, Sathyanarayana S, Spanier AJ, Blustein J
      Race/ethnicity-specific associations of urinary phthalates with childhood body mass in a nationally representative sample.
      23428635 Environmental health perspectives, 2013 April : 121(4)501-6 PMCID:PMC3620751
    • Dadvand P, Parker J, Bell ML, Bonzini M, Brauer M, Darrow LA, Gehring U, Glinianaia SV, Gouveia N, Ha EH, Leem JH, van den Hooven EH, Jalaludin B, Jesdale BM, Lepeule J, Morello-Frosch R, Morgan GG, Pesatori AC, Pierik FH, Pless-Mulloli T, Rich DQ, Sathyanarayana S, Seo J, Slama R, Strickland M, Tamburic L, Wartenberg D, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Woodruff TJ
      Maternal exposure to particulate air pollution and term birth weight: a multi-country evaluation of effect and heterogeneity.
      23384584 Environmental health perspectives, 2013 March : 121(3)267-373 PMCID:PMC3621183
    • Sathyanarayana S, Focareta J, Dailey T, Buchanan S
      Environmental exposures: how to counsel preconception and prenatal patients in the clinical setting.
      22440197 American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2012 Dec. : 207(6)463-70
    • Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Farin FM, Wilkerson HW, Bamshad M, Grady R, Zhou C, Schwartz SM
      A pilot study of the association between genetic polymorphisms involved in estrogen signaling and infant male genital phenotypes.
      22580635 Asian journal of andrology, 2012 Sept. : 14(5)766-72 PMCID:PMC3734991
    • Grady R, Sathyanarayana S
      An update on phthalates and male reproductive development and function.
      22723150 Current urology reports, 2012 Aug. : 13(4)307-10
    • Roth CL, Sathyanarayana S
      Mechanisms affecting neuroendocrine and epigenetic regulation of body weight and onset of puberty: potential implications in the child born small for gestational age (SGA).
      22415297 Reviews in endocrine and metabolic disorders, 2012 June : 13(2)129-40
    • Sathyanarayana S, Braun JM, Yolton K, Liddy S, Lanphear BP
      Case report: high prenatal bisphenol a exposure and infant neonatal neurobehavior.
      21524981 Environmental health perspectives, 2011 Aug. : 119(8)1170-5 PMCID:PMC3237352
    • Parker JD, Rich DQ, Glinianaia SV, Leem JH, Wartenberg D, Bell ML, Bonzini M, Brauer M, Darrow L, Gehring U, Gouveia N, Grillo P, Ha E, van den Hooven EH, Jalaludin B, Jesdale BM, Lepeule J, Morello-Frosch R, Morgan GG, Slama R, Pierik FH, Pesatori AC, Sathyanarayana S, Seo J, Strickland M, Tamburic L, Woodruff TJ
      The International Collaboration on Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes: initial results.
      21306972 Environmental health perspectives, 2011 July : 119(7)1023-8 PMCID:PMC3222970
    • Braun JM, Kalkbrenner AE, Calafat AM, Bernert JT, Ye X, Silva MJ, Barr DB, Sathyanarayana S, Lanphear BP
      Variability and predictors of urinary bisphenol A concentrations during pregnancy.
      21205581 Environmental health perspectives, 2011 Jan. : 119(1)131-7 PMCID:PMC3018492
    • Sathyanarayana S, Basso O, Karr CJ, Lozano P, Alavanja M, Sandler DP, Hoppin JA
      Maternal pesticide use and birth weight in the agricultural health study.
      20407994 Journal of agromedicine, 2010 April : 127-36
    • Meeker JD, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH
      Phthalates and other additives in plastics: human exposure and associated health outcomes.
      19528058 Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 2009 Jul 27 : 2097-113
    • Karr CJ, Rudra CB, Miller KA, Gould TR, Larson T, Sathyanarayana S, Koenig JQ
      Infant exposure to fine particulate matter and traffic and risk of hospitalization for RSV bronchiolitis in a region with lower ambient air pollution.
      19211100 Environmental research, 2009 April : 321-7
    • Sathyanarayana S, Karr CJ, Lozano P, Brown E, Calafat AM, Liu F, Swan SH
      Baby care products: possible sources of infant phthalate exposure.
      18245401 Pediatrics, 2008 Feb. : e260-8
    • Sathyanarayana S
      Phthalates and children's health.
      18237855 Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care, 2008 Feb. : 34-49
    • Sathyanarayana S, Beaudet N, Omri K, Karr C
      Predicting children's blood lead levels from exposure to school drinking water in Seattle, Washington, USA.
      17000419 Ambulatory pediatrics : the official journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, 2006 Sept. : 6(5)288-92

Overview

Board Certification(s)

Pediatrics

Medical/Professional School

Keck School of Medicine at USC, Los Angeles, CA
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Residency

University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA

Research Description

Her research interests focus on exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A and their impact on reproductive development. Public concern regarding these chemicals has risen in recent years and demands current research that addresses mechanisms of action and impact on health outcomes.

Research Focus Area

Environmental Exposures and Childhood Health Outcomes