![Dr.Lucchini.jpeg](https://cdn.grove.wgbh.org/dims4/default/246bdbd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/183x240+28+0/resize/275x360!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-gbh.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fmedia%2Fspeaker_images%2FDr.Lucchini.jpeg)
Roberto Lucchini
Florida International University
**Dr. Roberto Lucchini** is Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Florida International University. He received his medical degree from the University of Brescia, Italy, in 1987. He recently acted as Deputy Editor on Global Health’s special report on "The Minderoo Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health." From January 2012 to June 2020, he was the Director of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Dr. Lucchini was also the Director of the World Trade Center Data Center at Mount Sinai and the Director of the NIOSH funded Education and Research Center for the States of New York and New Jersey. In these capacities, he coordinated the epidemiological health surveillance of the workers involved in the clean-up operations after 9/11. Dr. Lucchini’s research is focused on the health effects of neurotoxic chemicals and the biological mechanisms by which metals, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, particulate matter and other toxic chemicals can cause injury in the human nervous system, from neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration. He and his team have conducted studies in general populations as well as in occupational groups. More recently Dr. Lucchini became involved with the research on the health effect among workers and responders who were exposed to chemicals and intense psychological trauma at the World Trade Center after the 9/11 terroristic attack. He is studying the increased frequency of cancer, respiratory, mental health and neurological conditions through the use of MRI and PET imaging techniques. Dr. Lucchini has shared his expertise with a variety of national and international news outlets, including Th Conversation.