https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6171-5622
Awards & Honors
Fellow (ATSF)
Scholarly Society American Thoracic Society · January 26, 2026 The ATS Fellow designation is a mark of distinction, conferring recognition on members for their accomplishments, dedication and contributions to the Society as well as to the fields of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. More about this awardFellow
Other Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) · March 2024 The status of Fellow is a distinction conferred by the Society on members in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of nicotine and tobacco research, and of service to SRNT. More about this awardLeading Edge in Basic Science Award
International Society of Toxicology · 2019 This award recognizes a scientist who, based on his/her research, has made a recent (within the last five years), seminal scientific contribution/advance to understanding fundamental mechanisms of toxicity. The recipient should be a respected basic scientist whose research findings are likely to have a pervasive impact on the field of toxicology. To recognize the importance to pharmacology and toxicology of his contributions to basic science, Dr. Sven-Eric Jordt has been awarded the 2019 SOT Leading Edge in Basic Science Award. Dr. Jordt received his PhD from Free University of Berlin in Germany in 1997. He then went on to be a postdoctoral fellow, first at the Center for Molecular Neurobiology in Hamburg, Germany, and then at the University of California San Francisco Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. He continues to play a pivotal role in academia through his current positions as an associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, in Duke’s University Program of Environmental Health & Toxicology (UPEH) and the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Jordt’s work has largely involved TRP channel biology, a cutting-edge area of toxicology within which he is a leader. His extensive investigation of sensory TRP ion channels and their role in responding to physical and chemical signals resulted in the identification of the sensory ion channel TRPA1 as the major receptor for reactive environmental toxicants and inflammatory agents in sensory neurons innervating the airways. Dr. Jordt also focuses on the means by which basic research findings can be translated to applied research in medicine, including asthma research, the discovery of countermeasures against chemical threats and the health effects of smoking and electronic cigarettes. Dr. Jordt has been recognized many times within the field of toxicology. For example, he earned an American Asthma Foundation Early Excellence Award because of his work with TRPA1-deficient mice that showed TRPA1’s role in allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperreactivity and bronchoconstriction seen in asthma. He also is a past recipient of the NIEHS Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Dr. Jordt’s expertise has been shared with both the scientific and nonscientific populations. His work has been published in many prestigious scientific journals, and he has authored several book chapters. Additionally, news outlets for the general public, such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and National Public Radio, have interviewed him. He has been a member of the Society of Toxicology since 2009. More about this awardEarly Excellence Award
Scholarly Society American Asthma Foundation (AAF) · 2007 The American Asthma Foundation supports work in all investigative fields that may reveal new pathways in the pathogenesis of asthma. More about this awardOutstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES)
National National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) · 2006 Through its Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) program, NIEHS cultivates America’s future environmental health research leaders at the start of their careers and supports innovative environmental health research. More about this awardPresidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE Awards)
National President of the United States · 2006 The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies, confers the awards annually. To be eligible for a Presidential Award, an individual must be a US citizen, national or permanent resident. Some of the winning scientists and engineers receive up to a five-year research grant. More about this awardESN Young Investigator Lectureship Award
Scholarly Society European Society for Neurochemistry (ESN) · 2003 The financial success of the 2nd ESN meeting in Göttingen in 1978 allowed the endowment of funds to support the ESN Young Investigator Lectureship Awards (now named “Young Scientist Lectureship Awards”) which recognize the research achievements of up to three promising young scientists in neurochemistry research. Candidates of 38 years of age or younger at the submission deadline should be based in a European country and/or should have achieved most of their outstanding achievements in European research groups. The ESN awards currently consist of an award medal (see picture below) and a paid trip to the ESN meeting, where the awardee(s) present a 30 minute lecture. More about this awardPostdoctoral Scholarship
National German National Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina · 1998 More about this awardLifetime Membership
Scholarly Society German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studenstiftung des Deutschen Volkes), Germany · 1994 More about this awardUndergraduate Award
Scholarly Society German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studenstiftung des Deutschen Volkes), Germany · 1992 The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes – German Academic Scholarship Foundation – awards scholarships to outstanding students, irrespective of their political, ideological or religious convictions and affiliations. In line with its statutes, it supports "the university education of young people who, on account of their exceptional academic or artistic talents and their personalities, can be expected to make an outstanding contribution to society as a whole". More about this awardIn the News
Published March 17, 2026
Smoking rates are at a historic low. You’re not hearing about it from the government
Published February 4, 2026
Hundreds of people across several blocks felt tear-gas effects; air quality measurably degraded
Published January 24, 2026
What’s the Deal With That Scary-Looking Green Gas ICE Is Using in Minneapolis?
Published January 16, 2026
‘My eyes were stinging’: The chemicals used by ICE when they confront protesters
Published January 8, 2026
Leading environmental health journal defunded by Trump administration has been saved
Published December 22, 2025
Prominent environmental health journal disappears, but it’s in transition
Published September 18, 2025
‘Nicotine-free’ vapes and pouches promise a buzz without the downsides. Health concerns remain.
Published June 4, 2025
Un estudio descubre que hay un potente edulcorante en los vaporizadores comercializados para adolescentes
Published June 3, 2025
Ingredient up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar lurks in vapes popular with teens, study shows
Published March 28, 2025
Duke researchers find artificial sweeteners in nicotine pouches, call for stricter regulation
Published September 9, 2024
Lab member Sairam Jabba: Vape Additives that Mimic Nicotine Are Potent—and Largely Unregulated
Published August 11, 2024
Sigarette elettroniche, gli scienziati: “Alcune aziende aggirano le regole sostituendo la nicotina con sostanze dagli effetti sconosciuti”
Published August 8, 2024
• Los cigarrillos electrónicos usan sustancias análogas a la nicotina para evitar la regulación
Published August 7, 2024
Variability in constituents of e-cigarette products containing nicotine analogues
Published May 31, 2024
Dozens of schoolchildren fall ill by cloud of tear gas in police training mishap
Published May 29, 2024
Exclusive: Nicotine-like chemicals in U.S. vapes may be more potent than nicotine, FDA says
Published May 29, 2024
Nicotine-like chemicals in US vapes may be more potent than nicotine, FDA says
Published May 24, 2024
E-sigara endüstrisine ‘suçüstü’: Nikotinden daha güçlü ‘metanin’ kullanıyorlar
Published February 1, 2024
The fight over banning menthol cigarettes has a long history steeped in race
Published January 17, 2024
Biden administration must decide soon on menthol cigarettes or risk proposed ban going up in smoke, advocates say
Published November 26, 2023
Health Organizations Focus On Assisting Black Smokers Amid Potential Menthol Cigarette Ban
Published October 16, 2023
FDA takes ‘momentous’ step toward banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars
Published October 11, 2023
As Menthol Ban Nears, Big Tobacco Is Adding Synthetic Version to Cigarettes Instead
Published April 19, 2023
Dr. Sairam Jabba in : RJR uses California as test market for skirting upcoming national menthol cigarette ban
Published February 24, 2023
Bear spray incidents in Winnipeg jumped by nearly 35% in 2022, police data suggests
Published October 14, 2022
His death was ruled 'natural.' But what Tarrant jailers did to him suggests otherwise
Published September 8, 2022
Tobacco giant Philip Morris is investing billions in health care. Critics say it’s peddling cures for its own poison
Published May 17, 2022
PUFFED OFF Urgent warning to vapers over ‘deadly toxins lurking in popular flavour’
Published May 16, 2022
High levels of synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes may exceed safety thresholds
Published April 29, 2022
'They make you addicted faster': Menthol cigarette ban proposal could further lower smoking rates
Published October 4, 2021
Two @dukemedschool faculty members -- Sven-Eric Jordt, PhD, and Jorg Grandl, PhD -- had the opportunity to train under today’s #NobelPrize winners: David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, respectively.
Published August 19, 2021
A Vaccine against Poison Ivy Misery Is in the Works as Scientists Also Explore New Treatment Paths
Published June 15, 2021
Are e-cigarettes a gateway to cigarettes? Rising popularity of 'ice' flavoured vape juice is driving people to nicotine addiction, study warns
Published May 1, 2021
Hundreds reported abnormal periods after exposure to tear gas, Portland study finds
Published May 1, 2021
Hundreds Reported Abnormal Menstruation After Exposure to Tear Gas, Study Finds
Published May 1, 2021
Hundreds of Portland protesters reported abnormal menstruation after exposure to tear gas, study finds
Published April 30, 2021
Teargas, flashbangs: the devastating toll of police tactics on Minnesota children
Published April 29, 2021
Hundreds report abnormal menstruation after being teargassed during Portland protests
Published March 20, 2021
Bear spray is showing up at protests and riots. Here’s why, and how it affects humans.
Published January 16, 2021
Current Smokers at Higher Risk of Developing Severe COVID-19, Study Finds
Published September 3, 2020
Chemikalien in E-Zigaretten mischen sich zu “völlig neuen Kombinationen, die für Lungenzellen toxisch sind”.
Published September 3, 2020
Attenti alle e-cig: i liquidi creano nuovi composti tossici per cuore e polmoni
Published September 3, 2020
VAPE NO WAY E-cigarettes produce NEW toxic chemicals that ‘trigger breathing and heart problems’
Published September 3, 2020
Chemicals in e-cigarettes mix to form entirely new combinations that are toxic to lung cells and blood vessels, scientists discover
Published September 2, 2020
E-cigarette flavourings produce toxic chemicals that cause breathing issues, study warns
Published August 26, 2020
Portland protesters are reporting women’s health problems from tear gas: What’s going on?
Published July 29, 2020
‘It’s like they’re testing it on us': Portland protesters say tear gas has caused irregularities with their periods
Published July 21, 2020
The Risks Of Using Milk To Soothe Tear-Gassed Eyes; An Expert Says Use Water Instead
Published June 13, 2020
ATS Calls for Moratorium on Police Use of Tear Gas — Concerns about impact on COVID-19
Published June 8, 2020
From 'Flash Bangs' To 'Rubber' Bullets: The Very Real Risks of 'Riot Control Agents'
Published June 5, 2020
From tear gas to rubber bullets, here’s what ‘nonlethal’ weapons can do to the body
Published June 5, 2020
Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak Called 'A Recipe For Disaster'
Published June 3, 2020
Tear Gas Is Way More Dangerous Than Police Let On — Especially During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Published June 3, 2020
Trump Defends Cops as US Park Police Deny Using Tear Gas Before President’s Walk to Church
Published June 3, 2020
White House says police didn’t use tear gas and rubber bullets in incident that cleared protesters with chemical irritants and projectile munitions
Published May 29, 2020
If You’re Going Out To Protest During The Pandemic, Be Careful Of The Coronavirus Risk
Published April 3, 2020
COVID-19: why are we not discussing lung edema caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections as therapeutic target ?
Published March 23, 2020
TRPV4: An Underappreciated Target to Control Alveolar Lung Edema in Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infections
Published January 15, 2020
JUUL-funded Duke researcher pushes pro-vaping stance in smoking ban to combat cigarettes
Published December 4, 2019
Tear Gas Is Now a Fact of Life in Hong Kong. Residents Are Wondering What It's Doing to Their Health
Published November 25, 2019
Critics say KKR’s ‘responsible investment’ stance is being clouded by its stake in a controversial tear-gas maker
Published October 5, 2019
Los riesgos para la salud que podría traer el uso de cigarrillos electrónicos y vapeadores
Published October 2, 2019
Los dispositivos camuflados para vapear que están desconcertando a padres y escuelas
Published September 21, 2019
High levels of cancer-causing chemical found in mint and menthol e-cigarettes: Study
Published September 19, 2019
Hoodies, watches and other camouflaged vaping devices confound parents, schools
Published September 16, 2019
VAPE ALERT Dangerous levels of ‘cancer-causing’ chemical in menthol e-cigarettes, docs warn
Published September 16, 2019
Mint flavouring in e-cigarettes contains high levels of potential cancer-causing ingredient, new research shows
Published September 16, 2019
E-cigarette cancer warning as new study finds mint and menthol flavour risk
Published September 16, 2019
Mint, menthol e-cigarette liquids high in cancer-causing compound: study
Published September 7, 2019
Deadly Vaping Illness Could be Related to Vitamin E, New York Health Officials Say
Published September 6, 2019
Protester in Hong Kong neutralises a tear canister fired by police and claims he rendered it useless with MUD
Published August 16, 2019
Dozens of People in Multiple States Have Lung Disease Linked to Vaping, and No One Knows Why
Published June 18, 2019
Water on the Smoke - The brilliantly simple Hong Kong method for fighting tear gas.
Published May 11, 2019
Sven-Eric Jordt interviewed in Liberation on potential for cyanide poisoning due to tear gas exposures at the yellow vest riots: Effets persistants, rumeurs de cyanure : les gaz lacrymo utilisés contre les manifestants
Published November 27, 2018
Tear gas: 'Harsh, terrifying' and legal to use on civilians (and immigrants)
Published November 26, 2018
The Fix - ‘You could actually put it on your nachos and eat it,’ Fox guest says of gas used at the Mexican border
Published November 26, 2018
What Is Tear Gas? Side Effects of 'Chemical Warfare Agent' Used on Migrants at Border
Published November 19, 2018
McFakin' it: The vape-maker blatantly targeting children with sugary flavours and McDonald's rip-off packaging
Published November 13, 2018
Juul Says It Will Stop Selling All Its Good Flavors of E-Cigarettes in Stores
Published October 23, 2018
Adding Flavors to E-Cigarette Liquids Changes Chemistry, Creates Irritants
Published October 18, 2018
E-cigarette flavourings may react with vaping liquids and trigger severe LUNG irritation, study warns
Published October 18, 2018
Why e-cigarette flavors are so dangerous: They change the vapor's chemistry - increasing the risk of irritation and inflammation, study says
Published January 1, 2017
Extramural paper of the month: Researchers identify protein that triggers poison ivy itch
Published November 11, 2016
Mouse Study Shows Antibody Can Soothe Raging, Nerve-Driven Poison Ivy Itch
Published April 29, 2015
Baltimore protests: Experts caution against using milk, antacid to wash out pepper spray
Published August 28, 2014
What Will Be the Effects of the Tear Gas in Ferguson? A Duke Faculty Member Explains
Published August 15, 2014
Sven-Eric Jordt comments: Tear gas is banned in international warfare -- and in use in Ferguson, Mo.
Published August 15, 2014
Rubber Bullets in Missouri Clash Highlight Militarization of America’s Police
Published August 14, 2014
Tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in war. But Ferguson police shoot it at protesters.
Published September 5, 2011
How your harsh reaction to horseradish may lead to new pain-managing medicines
Published September 7, 2010
Why Does It Hurt So Bad? Scientists Find Receptors That Convey Pain to the Brain