Biography

Dr. Lei's research focuses on environmental epidemiology, employing interdisciplinary approaches from geography, chemistry, environmental science, and epidemiology. Her work investigates the adverse health effects of environmental factors such as air pollution, climate change, emerging pollutants, and lifestyle factors, with a particular emphasis on the psychological and neurodevelopmental risks among pregnant women and infants.Shemanagedseveralresearch projectsas the principle investigator, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, and theShanghai Municipal Education Commission, etc. Additionally, she also participated inthe National Key Research and Development Programof ChinaandKey projects in the three-year plan of Shanghai municipal public health systemas co-investigator.She has published over50 papers ininternational journals, includingJournal of Hazardous Materials,Environmental Science & TechnologyandEnvironment International. Her research has informed public health policy development and has been cited by authoritative sources such as The Lancet and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). Her work is also referenced in the "Recommendations for Controlling and Preventing the Acute Health Risks of PM2.5."Dr. Leialsoserves as areviewer for over ten international journals, includingScience of the Total Environment,Environmental Pollution, and Environmental Research.            

Education & Professional Experience

Dr. Xiaoning Lei is anassociateprofessor in the Department of EnvironmentalHealth at the School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySchool of Medicine, China.Sheearned her Ph.D. from East China University of Science and Technology (2014-2018) and was a visiting scholar at Pennsylvania State University (2017-2018). She completed her postdoctoral research at Fudan University (2018-2020). Gao Y, Luo J, Zhang Y, Pan C, Ren Y, Zhang J, Tian Y. Shanghai Birth Cohort. Prenatal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Child Growth Trajectories in the First Two Years. Environ Health Perspect. 2022,130(3):37006.

Research Interests

vNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), No.22206127, 2022-2025, PI.

vProject of the Integration of Industry, Education and Research of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, 2024-2025, PI.

vProgram of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (21ZR1435800), 2021-2024, PI.

vInterdisciplinary Program of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (YG2019ZDA29), 2021-2023, PI.

vYoung Faculty Startup Plan of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (21X010501089), 2020-2023, PI.

vChina Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M661377), 2019-2020, PI.

vNational Key Research and Development Programof China"Reproductive Health and Maternal and Child Health Protection", No. 2022YFC2702900, 2022-2025, co-investigator.

vKey projects in the three-year plan of Shanghai municipal public health system, No. GWVI-4, GWVI-11.1-41, 2023-2025, co-investigator.

vProgram of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, No. 23ZR1436500, 2023-2026, co-investigator.

Selected Publications

1.Lei, X.#, Chen, R., Wang, C., Shi, J., Zhao, Z., Li, W., Yan, B., Chillrud, S., Cai, J.*, & Kan,H*. (2019). Personal fine particulate matter constituents, increased systemic inflammation,and the role of DNA hypomethylation. Environmental science & technology, 53(16),9837-9844.

2.Lei, X.#, Zhang, Y., Wang, Z., Lu, Z., Pan, C., Zhang, S., Chen Q, Yuan T, Zhang J, Gao Y*,& Tian, Y*. (2022). Effects of prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its composition on cognitiveand motor functions in children at 12 months of age: The Shanghai Birth CohortStudy. Environment International, 170, 107597.

3.Fan, G., Liu, Q., Fang, Q., Luo, F., Huang, X., Li, H., ...Lei, X.*& Song, L*. (2025). Prenatal exposure to PM2. 5 constituents and newborn leukocyte telomere length in a prospective study: Windows of susceptibility and modification by maternal folic acid supplementation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 138747.

4.Fan, G.#, Lei, X.#, Liu, Q., Fang, Q., Luo, F., Huang, X., ... & Song, L*. (2025). Exposure to green space and leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number in children and adolescents.Environmental Research, 274, 121352.

5.Lei, X.#, Chen, R., Wang, C., Shi, J., Zhao, Z., Li, W., Bachwenkizi J , Ge W, Sun L, Li S,Cai J*, & Kan, H.* (2020). Necessity of personal sampling for exposure assessment onspecific constituents of PM2. 5: Results of a panel study in Shanghai, China. EnvironmentInternational, 141, 105786.

6.Lei, X.#, Ao, J., Li, J., Gao, Y., Zhang, J., & Tian, Y.* (2024). Maternal concentrations ofenvironmental phenols during early pregnancy and behavioral problems in children aged 4years from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Science of The Total Environment, 933, 172985.

7.Zhang, S.#, Lei, X.*, Zhang, Y., Shi, R., Zhang, Q., Gao, Y., Tao Yuan , Li Jiong, & Tian,Y.* (2022). Prenatal exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood adiposityat 7 years of age. Chemosphere, 307, 136077.

8.Xia, Z.#, Lv, C., Zhang, Y., Shi, R., Lu, Q., Tian, Y.,Lei, X.,*& Gao, Y.* (2023).Associations of exposure to bisphenol A and its substitutes with neurodevelopmentaloutcomes among infants at 12 months of age: A cross-sectional study. Chemosphere, 341,139973.

9.Lei, X.#, Chen, R., Li, W., Cheng, Z., Wang, H., Chillrud, S., Yan, B., Ying Z, Cai J*, & Kan,H.* (2021). Personal exposure to fine particulate matter and blood pressure: Variations byparticulate sources. Chemosphere, 280, 130602.

10.Lei, X.#, Muscat, J. E., Zhang, B., Sha, X., & Xiu, G.* (2018). Differentially DNAmethylation changes induced in vitro by traffic-derived nanoparticulatematter. Toxicology, 395, 54-62.