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:
Graduate Research Trainees
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.
Sofia I. Gonzalez, BS
Sofia I. Gonzalez is currently pursuing a 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 has shaped her research interests, particularly in asthma, fluoride exposure, and their impacts on vulnerable populations. At the FABB Lab, Sofia is currently investigating the relationship between fluoride biomarkers and respiratory outcomes for her MPH Capstone project.
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.
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.
Alumni
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.
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.
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.