About

Akram N. Alshawabkeh is the George A. Snell Professor of Engineering and a University Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University College of Engineering. His research focuses on geoenvironmental engineering, soil and groundwater remediation, electrokinetic and electrochemical processes, and contaminant fate and transport in environmental restoration. He is involved in projects such as the Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT), supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Superfund Research Program, which studies exposure to environmental contamination and its impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Alshawabkeh has made significant contributions to environmental engineering, particularly in the development of innovative methods for treating contaminated water and soil. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2022 Dean’s Award for Meritorious Service, the 2014 ASCE Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award, and the NSF CAREER Award in 2001. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His work bridges scientific research and practical applications, aiming to improve environmental health and safety through advanced remediation technologies.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Biology
• Environmental health
• Demography
• Physiology
• Genetics
• Pathology
• Computer Science
• Gerontology
• Endocrinology
• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics
• Chemistry
• Family medicine
• Statistics
• Environmental science
• Cartography
• Geography
• Food science
• Ecology
• Bioinformatics
• Environmental chemistry
• Virology

Selected publications

• Prenatal over-the-counter acetaminophen use and birth outcomes in the ECHO cohort

  American Journal of Epidemiology · 2026-05-20

  articleOpen access

  Acetaminophen is among the most common over-the-counter medications used during pregnancy. Given inconsistent findings from both experimental and epidemiological studies on associations between use and adverse health outcomes, further research is warranted. To address this, our objective was to assess the relationship between prenatal acetaminophen use and birth outcomes. We studied 8957 mother-infant pairs from 36 pediatric study sites participating in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program. After imputation and inverse probability weighting, we used regression models to examine the relationship between acetaminophen during pregnancy and the following outcomes: (1) preterm birth, (2) birthweight, (3) small-for-gestational age (SGA), and (4) large-for-gestational-age (LGA). Approximately 59% of mothers reported using acetaminophen at any point during their pregnancy (n = 5257). After adjustment for relevant covariates, prenatal acetaminophen use was associated with lower odds of LGA (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96). Prenatal acetaminophen use was not associated with preterm birth (aOR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.14), birthweight (aβ: -7.52 g; 95% CI: -27.80, 12.77) or SGA (aOR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.18). Based on these findings, future research should test for dose-response, trimester-specific exposures, and factors affecting individual responses.

  PublisherDOI

• Association of Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy With Childhood Blood Pressure and Hypertension in the ECHO Cohort

  Circulation · 2026-02-16

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The association of newborn metabolites with early-life wheezing and asthma among US children in the ECHO Program

  Communications Medicine · 2026-05-13

  articleOpen access

  We aimed to investigate associations between newborn metabolite concentrations and the development of early-life wheezing and asthma. Our goal was to advance understanding of pathways involved in childhood asthma pathogenesis and identify potential targets for disease prevention. Our study populations included children enrolled in two Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohorts (INSPIRE, discovery; Healthy Start, replication) with linked newborn screening metabolic and outcome data (4-year recurrent wheeze and 5-year current asthma). We used elastic net penalized regression, followed by multivariable logistic regression, to determine metabolite-wheeze and metabolite-asthma associations. We secondarily assessed whether metabolite-asthma associations differed by asthma phenotype in the discovery cohort. Among 1554 INSPIRE children, the prevalence of recurrent wheeze and current asthma is 11% and 18%, respectively. Newborn concentrations of butyrylcarnitine + isobutyrylcarnitine (C4) and decenoylcarnitine (C10:1) are associated with recurrent wheeze (C4: aOR 0.75 [95% CI 0.59, 0.95]; C10:1: aOR 1.42 [95% CI 1.13, 1.78]), while linoleoylcarnitine (C18:2) and citrulline (CIT) are associated with current asthma (C18:2: aOR 1.20 [95% CI 1.02, 1.41]; CIT: aOR 0.74 [95% CI 0.58, 0.93]). The effect size and directionality of the association between C18:2 and childhood asthma is similar in Healthy Start (n = 518), although the relationship is not statistically significant. C18:2 is additionally associated with increased odds of non-allergic asthma compared to no asthma in INSPIRE. These findings suggest biologic pathways that may be involved in childhood asthma pathogenesis and support investigation of the mechanisms underlying these relationships given the potential for targeted prevention strategies. Childhood asthma results in significant morbidity and costs, but prevention strategies remain elusive due to limited understanding of its underlying preventable causes. As the development of asthma is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, assessment of metabolic profiles reflects both and can improve our understanding of disease development. This study examines newborn metabolic profiles from two birth cohorts and finds links to early-life wheezing and asthma. Results highlight potential pathways for asthma development and may inform future prevention efforts. Snyder et al. analyze two population-based birth cohorts to test associations of newborn metabolite concentrations and childhood respiratory outcomes. C4, C10:1, C18:2, and citrulline are associated with early-life wheezing and asthma, with C18:2 specifically associated with increased non-allergic asthma risk.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Maternal adverse childhood experiences and prenatal stress: Intergenerational transmission and offspring mental health in the ECHO Cohort

  Psychological Medicine · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background The rising global prevalence of pediatric mental health problems requires the identification of preventable factors underlying their development. This study assessed whether maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pregnancy stress were intergenerationally associated with offspring mental health. Methods This study used data from 34 sites in the nationwide Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort. Eligible parent–child dyads (child age: 1.5–18 years) provided data on at least one measure of maternal stress and at least one measure of child mental health. Study aims were evaluated using regression analyses, including interaction tests to determine potential effect modifiers. Results Participants were organized into three subsamples with data on (1) maternal ACEs ( N = 2,906), (2) perceived prenatal stress ( N = 4,441), and (3) both stress exposures ( N = 834). After adjusting for confounders, maternal ACEs and prenatal stress were significantly associated with child mental health problems ( B = 2.53 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.09, 2.96], p < 0.0001 and B = 2.36 [95% CI: 2.03, 2.68], p < 0.0001, respectively). Among participants with data on both stress exposures, maternal ACEs ( B = 1.72, 95% CI: [0.96, 2.48], p < 0.0001) and prenatal stress ( B = 2.05, 95% CI: [1.29, 2.80], p < 0.0001) were independently associated with child mental health problems. Neither maternal ACEs nor child sex modified the association between prenatal stress and child mental health problems. Conclusions Maternal exposure to ACEs and pregnancy stress were associated with the development of child mental health problems. These findings highlight the need for policies and interventions that mitigate exposure to adversity and protect pregnant individuals and their children from the intergenerational transmission of mental health problems.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Periods of susceptibility for associations between phthalate exposure and preterm birth: Results from a pooled analysis of 16 US cohorts

  UNC Libraries · 2026-03-10

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Prenatal urinary biomarkers of metal and metalloid exposure and child neurodevelopmental outcomes in Puerto Rico

  Environmental Research · 2026-01-13

  articleOpen access

  Exposure to toxic metals, and insufficient or excess levels of essential metals, particularly during sensitive stages of development, can pose health risks. Previous research reports that prenatal exposure to metal mixtures is associated with poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes. However, little research has studied the impact of prenatal exposure to complex metal mixtures on child behavioral and emotional development specifically in Puerto Rico, a population with exposure and health disparities. This study aims to understand how prenatal exposure to 14 metals affects child neurodevelopment using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 1.5, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. We examined associations between urinary prenatal metal concentrations, collected at 18 ± 2, 22 ± 2, and 26 ± 2 weeks of gestation, and repeated CBCL raw scores in 301 mother-child pairs from the PROTECT birth cohort in Northern Puerto Rico. The median raw CBCL total problem score was 19. In single-pollutant linear mixed-effects models, As, Co, and Sn were significantly associated with higher internalizing and total problem scores, indicating more parent-reported emotional and behavioral problems. An interquartile range increase in ln(Sn) was associated with a 0.17 (95 % CI: 0.05, 0.29) point higher ln(Total Problems + 1) score. As exposure was associated with higher CBCL problem scores for male children across all domains, while Cu was associated with higher externalizing problems among females. In mixture analyses using adaptive elastic net and Bayesian kernel machine regression, Co, As, and Sn predominantly contributed to higher CBCL scores, specifically among male children. However, there were mostly only additive interactions between metals. These results elucidate the effects of multiple metals on behavioral and emotional development.

  PublisherDOI

• Placental histopathology and early childhood neurodevelopment in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes cohort

  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2026-02-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Air Pollution Exposure and Birth Weight in the ECHO Cohort

  JAMA Network Open · 2025-12-26 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Importance: Prior studies report negative associations between prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (ie, aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µg; PM2.5) and birth weight, but have typically averaged exposure across pregnancy, which may not reveal windows of susceptibility. Objective: To identify windows of prenatal susceptibility to PM2.5. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively enrolled cohort study. Participants were enrolled at 1 of 50 sites participating in the US Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort. The study included full-term, singleton births occurring between September 2003 and December 2021. Statistical analyses were conducted from March 2024 to February 2025. Exposures: Daily residential PM2.5 exposure was estimated using a machine-learning model covering the contiguous US and mean exposure estimates were calculated for each week of pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Bayesian distributed lag interaction models were used to examine cumulative and week-specific associations between PM2.5 exposure and birth weight for gestational age (BWGA) z scores. Interactions with sex, race and ethnicity, and region were also examined. Results: The sample of 16 868 mother-newborn pairs (maternal mean [SD] age, 30.4 [5.5] years; 605 [3.6%] Asian, 2197 [13.0%] Black or Black-Hispanic, 3407 [20.2%] Hispanic, 9251 [54.8%] non-Hispanic White, and 1408 [8.4%] other) included 15 806 unique mothers and 1062 mothers with 2 or more children in the study. Mean (SD) weekly PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy was relatively low, at 8.03 (2.3) µg/m3, and overall mean (SD) birth weight was 3410.7 (464.5) g. In the sample overall, there was a negative association between PM2.5 exposure and BWGA z score (β = -0.06; 95% credible interval [CrI], -0.10 to -0.03), with a critical window in early gestation (weeks 1-5) that persisted only among males (β = -0.06; 95% CrI, -0.10 to -0.02). When examining differences by region, there were negative associations in the Northeast (β = -0.09; 95% CrI, -0.15 to -0.03), Midwest (β = -0.11; 95% CrI, -0.17 to -0.05; critical window, 12-18 weeks), and South (β = -0.18; 95% CrI, -0.17 to -0.05; critical window, 3-9 weeks). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, higher PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower BWGA z score, with critical windows identified during early pregnancy to midpregnancy; however, findings varied by sex and region. Understanding windows of susceptibility to environmental exposures can help guide research on underlying biological processes and can inform strategies for limiting exposure during certain periods of pregnancy.

  PublisherDOI

• Particle size fractionation treatment for sustainable remediation of field-contaminated soil

  Chemical Engineering Journal · 2025-08-08 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Pre- and postnatal exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 and blood pressure in children: Results from the ECHO Cohort

  Environmental Research · 2025-12-23

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in understanding the link between early life exposures to ambient air pollution and childhood blood pressure; however, existing findings, largely from single site/cohort studies, are inconclusive. METHODS: (per 10-ppb) exposures with blood pressure outcomes were estimated using linear and Poisson regressions adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, temporal, and spatial confounders. RESULTS: with both SBP (β: -2.42, 95 %CI: -4.70, -0.14) and DBP (β: -1.94, 95 %CI: -3.81, -0.08) percentiles were suggested. CONCLUSION: and blood pressure was counterintuitive and warrants further investigation.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• ECHO-PROTECT Cohort Study Site in Puerto Rico

  NIH · $19.1M · 2016–2030

• Project 3 - Effect of Extreme Weather on Potential Exposure of Contaminant Mixtures in Karst Water Systems

  NIH · $13.7M · 2010–2026

• ECHO-PROTECT Cohort Study Site in Puerto Rico

  NIH · $13.0M · 2016–2025

• NIH Grant P50ES026049

  NIH · $7.3M · 2021

• Research Opportunities for Undergraduates: Training in Environmental Health Sciences (ROUTES)

  NIH · $1.3M · 2015–2030

Frequent coauthors

• José F. Cordero

  University of Georgia

  175 shared

• John D. Meeker

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  159 shared

• Carmen M. Vélez-Vega

  University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

  93 shared

• Deborah J. Watkins

  92 shared

• Zaira Rosario

  University of Puerto Rico System

  70 shared

• Carlos A. Camargo

  Harvard University

  52 shared

• Dana Dabelea

  University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

  51 shared

• Anne L. Dunlop

  Emory University

  51 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Engineering

  University of Texas at Austin

  1991

• M.S., Environmental Engineering

  University of Texas at Austin

  1987

• B.S., Civil Engineering

  University of Jordan

  1983

Awards & honors

• 2022 Dean’s Award for Meritorious Service
• 2014 ASCE Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award
• 2009 Transportation Research Board, Certificate of Appreciat…
• 2005-2006 Fulbright Scholar – Jordan
• 2004 College of Engineering Outstanding Researcher Award, NU