Meet the Team » Fluoride Aluminum Brain and Behavior (FABB) Lab » College of Public Health and Health Professions

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:

Ashley Malin » Department of Epidemiology » College of Public Health and Health Professions » University of Florida (ufl.edu)

Graduate Research Trainees

This photo shows Zhilin Wang, a man standing on Yellow Stone Mountain. He is wearing glasses and holding his jacket over his shoulder. There are trees and other vegetation visible in the background.

Zhilin Wang, B.Sc., M.S.

Zhilin is in his third 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.

This photo shows Angela Miles, a woman with short brown hair smiling and wearing a pink shirt that has an A on it.

Angela Miles, M.S., CCC-SLP

Angela M. Miles is in her fourth 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.

Isabella Caffee, B.M.

Isabella Caffee is pursuing a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Florida. Her research interests lie in the intersection of clinical medicine, population health, and the life course perspective, with a focus on understanding how environmental exposures influence health outcomes across the life course. She seeks to understand the molecular causes of disease and to turn that knowledge into actionable steps to reduce disease at the population level. At FABB lab, Isabella’s research focuses on examining the effects of fluoride exposure in older adults. For her capstone project, she will be examining associations between fluoride exposure and bone fracture in adults in NHANES.

Undergraduate Research Trainees

Alexander Hill

Alexander Hill is pursuing a Bachelor of Public Health with honors at the University of Florida. His passion for food systems, food safety, and health equity has shaped his research interests in how environmental exposures and nutrition-related factors affect vulnerable populations. At the FABB Lab, Alex is currently investigating the relationship between nutrition and bone health among adults aged 50 and older for his Honors Thesis.

Najli Babar

Najli is a 4^th year Microbiology and Cell Sciences major on the pre-med track and minoring in Anthropology. She is interested in how environmental health intersects with health outcomes in a variety of populations. In the FABB lab, she has contributed to research on nutrition and bone mineral density as well as nutritional interventions for cancer. She will be conducting her honors thesis on the association between glyphosate exposure, DNA methylation, and cancer.

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Samikshaa Prabhu

Samikshaa Prabhu is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Sciences at the University of Florida on a pre-medical track. Her commitment to medicine, public health, and health equity has been shaped by her experience volunteering with UF HealthStreet and her work with underserved communities in urban areas like Seattle and Atlanta. Samikshaa’s research interests center around how biological, environmental, and social factors interact to influence health outcomes.

At the FABB Lab, Samikshaa has contributed a first-author paper on sodium bicarbonate and its potential as a cancer therapeutic adjunct. She is also currently assisting with projects examining plant extracts and cancer biology, as well as urinary aluminum and metal exposures during pregnancy.

Sofia Ceballos

Sofia Ceballos is pursuing a dual-degree Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Biology (Pre-Professional) at the University of Florida on a pre-medical track. Her passion for medicine has been shaped through volunteering at UF Health Shands Hospital and shadowing physicians in emergency and dermatology settings, experiences that strengthened her commitment to medicine and research. At the FABB Lab, Sofia’s research focuses on nutritional interventions in cancer care, investigating how diet and environmental exposures influence neurological and behavioral outcomes. Her current work examines the therapeutic potential of extracts and other plant-derived compounds in promoting apoptosis and contributing to the growing field of nutraceutical oncology.

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Dianette Delgado

Dianette Delgado is pursuing a Bachelor of Health Science with a minor in Health Promotion at the University of Florida on the pre-dental track. Her passion for healthcare has been shaped through academic experiences, research involvement, and a strong interest in preventive health and patient care. Currently, her research focuses on the medicinal potential of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom), investigating its possible anti-cancer properties and mechanisms of action in cancer treatment. Through this work, she aims to better understand the therapeutic potential of natural compounds and their role in advancing evidence-based approaches to disease prevention and treatment. Her long-term goal is to integrate scientific research and compassionate patient care into a career in dentistry.

Gabriella Tolentino

Gabriella Tolentino is pursuing a Bachelor of Health Science with minors in Chemistry and Health Administration at the University of Florida on a pre-dental track. Her passion for dentistry has been shaped through her experiences as a dental assistant, volunteering in community outreach, and shadowing dentists of different specialties. She is particularly interested in addressing public health disparities through improved access to healthcare and preventive services. Her research interests include cancer biology, nutrition, preventive health, and dental topics such as fluoride and oral disease prevention. At the FABB Lab, she is currently investigating the potential effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in cancer care, focusing on their roles in tumor suppression and inflammation.

Ella Kunz

Ella Kunz is pursuing a Bachelor of Nutritional Sciences with honors on the pre-medical track at the University of Florida. Her combined passion for nutrition and medicine has been shaped through shadowing opportunities at UF Health Shands Hospital and an interest in food sciences and public health. At the FABB lab, Ella’s focus is on the potential of nutrition to serve as both a preventative strategy and a treatment modality in healthcare. She is currently examining certain anticancer properties of kava and assessing its potential applications in cancer care, as well as investigating other unique nutritional properties in the field of cancer treatment.

Alumni

This photo shows Sofia Gonzalez, a young woman with long brown hair wearing a brown blazer and standing in front of a dinosaur structure smiling.

Sofia I. Gonzalez, BS, MPH

Sofia I. Gonzalez completed her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Science with a minor in Health Disparities through UF’s combined Bachelor’s/MPH program. Her passion for addressing health inequities and advancing environmental health equity shaped her research interests, particularly in asthma, fluoride exposure, and their impacts on vulnerable populations. At the FABB Lab, Sofia investigated the relationship between fluoride biomarkers and respiratory outcomes for her MPH Capstone project.

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Dr. Durdana Khan, MPH, Ph.D.

Dr. Durdana Khan completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the FABB lab from January 2024-August 2025. 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 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. During her fellowship in the FABB Lab, she completed 4 first author manuscripts. These include studies on racial disparities in fluoride exposure among United States youth, fluoride exposure and kidney function function, and the systemic role of nutrition in dental caries.

This photo shows Alexandra Mattia, a young woman with dark brown hair wearing a black shirt and standing in front of an open entry way with trees in the background.

Alexandra Mattia, BS, BA, MPH

Alexandra Mattia recently graduated with her MPH in Biostatistics at the University of Florida in the summer of 2025. 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. At the FABB lab, she investigated kidney and liver function in relation to fluoride exposure biomarkers for her MPH Capstone project.

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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.