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Kristen Lyall, ScD

Kristen Lyall headshot

Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
kld98@drexel.edu
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Degrees

ScD, Epidemiology, Harvard University
BA, Biology and Psychology, Middlebury College

Bio

Dr. Lyall is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics with experience in environmental, nutritional, perinatal, reproductive, and psychiatric epidemiology. Her research examines environmental factors in relationship to neurodevelopmental outcomes, with a strong focus on autism. Current projects are aimed at examining the role of dietary factors, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals during pregnancy, and the joint effects of these exposures, in relationship to neurodevelopmental outcomes. An additional area of interest is in measuring and capturing variability in autism, and utilizing quantitative traits to better understand autism epidemiology. She is involved in several large cohort studies as well as US consortium efforts, with the ultimate goal of improving and supporting maternal and child health.

Dr. Lyall received her doctorate in epidemiology, with a minor in biostatistics, from the Harvard School of Public Health, and did her postdoctoral training at the UC Davis MIND Institute. Following postdoctoral work, she worked as a Research Scientist in the California Department of Public Health, in the Environmental Health Investigations Branch.

Research Interests

  • Autism
  • Environmental Chemicals
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Neurodevelopment
  • Nutrition
  • Quantitative Traits
  • Psychometrics

Publications

Select publications

*Indicates trainee-led

Lyall K, Westlake M, Musci R, Gachigi K, Barrett ES, Bastain TM, Bush NR, Buss C, Camargo CA Jr, Croen LA, Dabelea D, Dunlop AL, Elliott AJ, Ferrara A, Ghassabian A, Gern JE, Hare ME, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hipwell AE, Hockett CW, Karagas MR, Lugo-Candelas C, O'Connor TG, Schmidt RJ, Stanford JB, Straughen JK, Shuster CL, Wright RO, Wright RJ, Zhao Q, Oken E; program collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes; ECHO Components; Coordinating Center; Data Analysis Center; Person-Reported Outcomes Core; ECHO Awardees and Cohorts. Association of maternal fish consumption and ω-3 supplement use during pregnancy with child autism-related outcomes: results from a cohort consortium analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Jul 1:S0002-9165(24)00585-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.013. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38960320.

Bragg MG*, Westlake M, Alshawabkeh AN, Bekelman TA, Camargo CA Jr, Catellier DJ, Comstock SS, Dabelea D, Dunlop AL, Hedderson MM, Hockett CW, Karagas MR, Keenan K, Kelly NR, Kerver JM, MacKenzie D, Mahabir S, Maldonado LE, McCormack LA, Melough MM, Mueller NT, Nelson ME, O'Connor TG, Oken E, O'Shea TM, Switkowski KM, Sauder KA, Wright RJ, Wright RO, Zhang X, Zhu Y, Lyall K; program collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. Opportunities for Examining Child Health Impacts of Early-Life Nutrition in the ECHO Program: Maternal and Child Dietary Intake Data from Pregnancy to Adolescence. Curr Dev Nutr. 2023 Oct 23;7(11):102019. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102019. PMID: 38035205; PMCID: PMC10681943.

Lyall K, Rando J, Wang S, Hamra GB, Chavarro J, Weisskopf MG, Croen LA, Fallin MD, Hertz-Picciotto I, Volk HE, Schmidt RJ, Newschaffer CJ. Examining Prenatal Dietary Factors in Association with Child Autism-Related Traits Using a Bayesian Mixture Approach: Results from 2 United States Cohorts. Curr Dev Nutr. 2023 Jul 25;7(8):101978. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.101978. PMID: 37600935; PMCID: PMC10432916.

Lyall K. What are quantitative traits and how can they be used in autism research? Autism Res. 2023 Jul;16(7):1289-1298. doi: 10.1002/aur.2937. Epub 2023 May 22. PMID: 37212172.

*Bragg M, Chavarro JE, Hamra GB, Hart JE, Tabb LP, Weisskopf MG, Volk HE, Lyall K. Prenatal Diet as a Modifier of Environmental Risk Factors for Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2022 Jun;9(2):324-338. doi: 10.1007/s40572-022-00347-7. Epub 2022 Mar 19. Erratum in: Curr Environ Health Rep. 2022 Sep;9(3):513-515. doi: 10.1007/s40572-022-00363-7. PMID: 35305256; PMCID: PMC9098668.

*Joyce EE, Chavarro JE, Rando J, Song AY, Croen LA, Fallin MD, Hertz-Picciotto I, Schmidt RJ, Volk H, Newschaffer CJ, Lyall K. Prenatal exposure to pesticide residues in the diet in association with child autism-related traits: Results from the EARLI study. Autism Res. 2022 May;15(5):957-970. doi: 10.1002/aur.2698. Epub 2022 Mar 8. PMID: 35261202; PMCID: PMC9090949.

Lyall K, Ning X, Aschner JL, Avalos LA, Bennett DH, Bilder DA, Bush NR, Carroll KN, Chu SH, Croen LA, Dabelea D, Daniels JL, Duarte C, Elliott AJ, Fallin MD, Ferrara A, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hipwell AE, Jensen ET, Johnson SL, Joseph RM, Karagas M, Kelly RS, Lester BM, Margolis A, McEvoy CT, Messinger D, Neiderhiser JM, O’Connor TG, Oken E, Sathyanarayana S, Schmidt RJ, Sheinkopf SJ, Talge NM, Turi K, Wright RJ, Zhao Q, Newschaffer C, Volk HE, Ladd-Acosta C, on behalf of program collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. (2022). Cardiometabolic pregnancy complications in association with autism-related traits as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale in ECHO. American Journal of Epidemiology. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwac061.

Lyall K., Ames J., Pearl M., Traglia M., Weiss L.A. , Windham G.C., Kharrazi M., Yoshida C.K., Yolken R., Volk H.E., Ashwood P., Van de Water J., Croen L.A. A profile and review of findings from the Early Markers of Autism Study: Unique contributions from a population-based case-control study in California. Molecular Autism. 12, 24 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00429-7

*Zhong C., *Tsessing J., Lee B.K., Lyall K. Maternal dietary factors in association with autism spectrum disorder: A review of the evidence. Autism Res. 2020 Oct;13(10):1634-1658. doi: 10.1002/aur.2402.

Lyall K, Hosseini M, Ladd-Acosta C, Ning X, Catellier D, Constantino JN, Croen LA, Kaat AJ, Botteron K, Bush NR, Dager SR, Duarte CS, Fallin MD, Hazlett H, Hertz-Picciotto I, Joseph RM, Karagas MR, Korrick S, Landa R, Messinger D, Oken E, Ozonoff S, Piven J, Pandey J, Sathyanarayana S, Schultz RT, St John T, Schmidt R, Volk H, Newschaffer CJ; program collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. Distributional Properties and Criterion Validity of a Shortened Version of the Social Responsiveness Scale: Results from the ECHO Program and Implications for Social Communication Research. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Jul;51(7):2241-2253. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04667-1. PMID: 32944847; PMCID: PMC7965796.

*Bostwick A., Snyder N.W., Windham G.C., Whitman C., Pearl M., Robinson L., Newschaffer C.J., Lyall K. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in newborn bloodspots: Associations with autism spectrum disorder and correlation with maternal serum levels. Autism Res. 2020 Sep;13(9):1601-1613. doi: 10.1002/aur.2365. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

*Vecchione R., *Vigna C., *Whitman C., Kauffman E.M., Braun J.M., Chen A., Xu Y., Hamra G.B., Lanphear B., Yolton K., Croen L.A., Fallin M.D., Hertz-Picciotto I., Newschaffer C.J., Lyall K. Prenatal fish intake in association with autism-related outcomes: Results from the EARLI and HOME studies. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Feb;51(2):487-500. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04546-9.PMID: 32519188

Lyall K, Song L, Botteron K, Croen LA, Dager SR, Fallin MD, Hazlett HC, Kauffman E, Landa R, Ladd-Acosta C, Messinger DS, Ozonoff S, Pandey J, Piven J, Schmidt RJ, Schultz RT, Stone WL, Newschaffer CJ, Volk HE. The Association Between Parental Age and Autism-Related Outcomes in Children at High Familial Risk for Autism. Autism Res. 2020 Jun;13(6):998-1010. doi: 10.1002/aur.2303. Epub 2020 Apr 21. PMID: 32314879; PMCID: PMC7396152.

Lyall K., Croen L.A., Weiss L.A., Kharrazi M., Traglia M., Yoshida C.K., Windham G.C. (2017) Prenatal serum concentrations of brominated flame retardants and autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability in the Early Markers of Autism Study: A population-based case control study in California. Environmental Health Perspectives. 125(8):087023. PMID 28895873.

Lyall K., Croen L.A., Daniels J., Fallin M.D., Ladd-Acosta C., Lee B.K., Park B.Y., Snyder N.W., Schendel D., Volk H, Windham G.C., Newschaffer C.J. (2017). The changing epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders. Annual Review of Public Health. 38:81-102. PMID 28068486.

See Dr. Lyall's Complete Bibliography on PubMed