Congratulations to Veronica Irvin, associate professor and Celia Strickland Austin and G. Kenneth Austin III Endowed Professor in Public Health, who co-authored a groundbreaking new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study is the largest of its kind in the U.S. — and the world — to look at how air pollution may be connected to breast cancer. Using data from five large research studies, the team found that certain pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, were linked to a small increase in breast cancer overall. Even more concerning, higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone were tied to more aggressive types of tumors that don’t respond to hormone treatments and have fewer known risk factors.

This research offers important insights that could help inform public health strategies and cancer prevention efforts. Way to go, Veronica!