911³Ô¹Ï

Dr. Josh Alampi’s thesis, , examines how prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals affects child neurodevelopment and behaviours.

Through his research, Alampi found that prenatal lead exposure is associated with autistic‑like behaviours, and these associations may be modified or protected by sufficient consumption of folate, a key ingredient of prenatal vitamins .

Alampi used innovative epidemiological and statistical methods to capture extra information, like particular subsets of people likely to be more at risk from exposure to certain chemicals, that are usually missed with more conventional research methods.

In addition to four first‑author peer‑reviewed publications during his PhD, he co-authored two additional publications. He also received the 2022 Best Environmental Epidemiology Paper Award from the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE), an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship, BC Graduate Scholarship and additional awards.

Co-supervised academically by Lawrence McCandless and Bruce Lanphear, they share why Alampi is deserving of the Dean’s Convocation Medal.

Say McCandless and Lanphear, “Josh Alampi has achieved an extraordinary level of excellence in his doctoral work. His research is rigorous, innovative, and already influential in environmental epidemiology. Equally important, he conducted this work with remarkable independence, intellectual curiosity, and scientific maturity.�

Alampi shares his gratitude for the support he’s received while at 911³Ô¹Ï.

Says Alampi, “Having studied or worked at 911³Ô¹Ï for the past 10 years, I am honoured to cap off my time here with this award. I am very thankful to my supervisors, Dr. Lawrence McCandless and Dr. Bruce Lanphear for their steadfast support, mentorship, and for encouraging me to develop my own ideas independently.â€�

Alampi is a biostatistician and data analyst with Legacy for Airway Health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia where he continues to contribute advanced analytic expertise to public‑health research to strengthen environmental health research and policy in British Columbia and beyond.