Overview
Professor Heather Stapleton is an environmental chemist and exposure scientist in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Her research interests focus on identification of halogenated and organophosphate chemicals in building materials, furnishings and consumer products, and estimation of human exposure, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children. Her laboratory utilizes mass spectrometry, including targeted and nontargeted approaches, to characterize chemical burdens in both environmental samples and biological tissues to support environmental health research. Currently she serves as the Director for the Duke Superfund Research Center, and Director of the Duke Environmental Analysis Laboratory, which is part of NIH’s Human Health Environmental Analysis Resource.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Recent News Items
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Recent Scholarly Works
Associations of serum PFAS with COVID-19 antibody levels among fully vaccinated adults.
Journal article Environmental research · June 2026 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) including PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS have been observed to alter immune function. The most sensitive effect is suppressed antibody response following vaccination, particularly for tetanus and diphtheria in children. To ... Full text CitePolyurethane Foam Wristbands as Personal Passive Samplers of Ambient Particulate Exposures to Lead and Other Metals.
Journal article Environmental science & technology · June 2026 Wearable wristband passive samplers are a tool for evaluating personal exposures to chemical mixtures such as semivolatile organic compounds. However, these samplers are ineffective for particulate-bound chemicals such as metals because they do not accumul ... Full text CiteTriphenyl phosphate promotes lipid accumulation in human mesenchymal stem cells through metabolic stress pathways.
Journal article Archives of toxicology · June 2026 Organophosphate esters (OPEs), used as both plasticizers and flame retardants, are increasingly recognized for their potential to disrupt cellular homeostasis and emerging evidence indicates their ability to induce metabolic stress in diverse biological sy ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Duke University Program in Environmental Health
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences · 2019 - 2029Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Exposures, Effects, and Interventions: A Collaborative Research-to-Action Partnership with Firefighters".
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Arizona · 2024 - 2028An integrated and diverse genomic medicine program for undiagnosed diseases
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke · 2014 - 2028View All Grants