Principal Investigator
Dr. Ashley Malin, Ph.D.
Dr. Malin is the founder and director of the FABB lab. Trained as a Clinical Psychologist, she began researching neurodevelopmental impacts of fluoride exposure after reading an animal study showing that exposure to fluoridation chemicals early in development can contribute to symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She subsequently published the first human study to examine associations of exposure to fluoridated drinking water and ADHD prevalence. Since then, Dr. Malin has published broadly on impacts of fluoride exposure on health outcomes including sleep, thyroid gland activity, kidney and liver function, women’s reproductive health and health disparities. In 2021, she was awarded a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award by NIH/NIEHS to examine early life fluoride exposure in relation to neurodevelopment and sleep patterns among children and adolescents in the United States and Canada respectively. She is also conducting complimentary research on patterns of aluminum exposure among pregnant women in the United States. Lastly, she is interested in the role of nutrition in child health outcomes.
See her UF bio page here:
Research Trainees
Dr. Durdana Khan, MPH, Ph.D.
Dr. Durdana Khan is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the FABB lab. She is trained as a medical physician and earned her MPH in Health Behavior and Health Promotion from The Ohio State University. She then earned her PhD in Health Sciences from York University in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Khan’s passion for the social determinants of health—the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age —has led to the development of her professional ambitions. Environmental conditions are important social determinants that shape health in powerful ways. Her published studies on the impact of environmental factors on the physical, mental, and reproductive health of aging populations have received widespread recognition, including articles in People Magazine and The Washington Post. Her current post-doctoral projects include examining environmental exposures in relation to neurodevelopment among children in the United States.
Zhilin Wang, B.Sc., M.S.
Zhilin is in his first year of Doctoral studies in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Oregon State University, and then his Master’s of Science degree in Biostatistics at New York University. Under the supervision of Dr. Ashley Malin, his research focuses on understanding the impacts of environmental exposures on psychological and neurobehavioral functioning. He is particularly interested in fluoride exposure, sleep patterns, and neurodegenerative diseases. He is currently investigating the role of early life fluoride exposure in sleep patterns among Canadian children in the MIREC prospective pregnancy and birth cohort.
Angela Miles, M.S., CCC-SLP
Angela M. Miles is in her second year of doctoral studies in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Florida and a mentee in the FABB lab. She is trained as a speech-language pathologist and earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Loma Linda University in Southern California. Angela’s professional ambitions are driven by her passion for ameliorating health disparities. Her research focuses on the contextual factors, including environmental factors (i.e., social support and access to services), and personal factors (i.e., age, education, and life experiences) that impact health outcomes. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of healthcare provider empathy in the treatment outcomes of individuals with minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds undergoing post-stroke rehabilitation. She is currently working on a project in the FABB Lab examining disparities in fluoride exposure among youth in the United States.
Volunteers
Alexandra Mattia, BS, BA
Alexandra Mattia is currently pursuing an MPH with a concentration in Biostatistics at the University of Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in biology and statistics alongside a minor in Deaf and Hearing Sciences from the University of Florida in 2023. Her ambitions pertaining to improving quality and equity of oral health services and knowledge have led to her interest in research pertaining to health disparities and dental public health initiatives. She is specifically interested in learning more about fluoride as well as oral diseases among women, children, and those who are Deaf and hard of hearing. At the FABB lab, she is currently investigating kidney and liver function in relation to fluoride exposure biomarkers in children and adolescents.
Alumni
Stephen Franks, BHSc, MPH
Stephen Franks earned his Bachelor of Health Science with honors from The University of Florida in 2023. He successfully completed his MPH Capstone project in the FABB lab in 2024. His Capstone focused on examining patterns of fluoride exposure among youth in the United States.