Mycoestrogens are naturally occurring fungal metabolites with estrogenic activity that are common food contaminants, yet their impacts on human health remain poorly understood. This presentation will provide an overview of recent epidemiologic research on prenatal mycoestrogen exposure, beginning with the optimization of LC–MS/MS analytical methods for biomonitoring zearalenone and its metabolites in human biospecimens. Findings on the prevalence and predictors of exposure among pregnant women in the United States, including dietary factors, will be presented, followed by evidence linking prenatal exposure to alterations in maternal and placental hormones, birth outcomes (including birthweight and gestational age), and placental health. The presentation will conclude with ongoing research investigating the potential role of mycoestrogen exposure in child growth and other developmental outcomes.

Bio

Dr. Zorimar Rivera-Núñez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health and a resident member of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). She is a translational environmental health scientist whose research integrates exposure science, epidemiology, and implementation science to investigate how environmental exposures influence maternal and child health. Her research focuses on endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including mycoestrogens, and has advanced epidemiologic understanding of human exposure to zearalenone and its effects on maternal and child health. She also collaborates with community, clinical, and public health partners to advance translational environmental health research.