Rachel D. Rogers, Ph.D.
Managing Toxicologist
she/her
Dr. Rogers is experienced in toxicology and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure science. Her primary responsibilities include human exposure assessment, toxicology in support of human health risk assessment, computational modeling, and reviewing specific chemical exposures to assess potential human health risks. Dr. Rogers was a senior environmental health scientist at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry/National Center for Environmental Health (ATSDR/NCEH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she conducted health assessments, risk assessments, and exposure investigations in communities across the country, and served as a subject matter expert in PFAS. Most recently, Dr. Rogers managed the PFAS portfolio for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) under the Biden administration. She has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed papers related to environmental toxicology, PFAS exposure, and computational modeling.
Biomonitoring Investigation and Exposure Assessment: Conducted a biomonitoring evaluation of outdoor air pollutant levels in a community located in the vicinity of oil refineries to determine whether exposure levels were of potential health concern. Reviewed and analyzed environmental chemical levels, weather data, and toxicological and epidemiological studies.
Human Health Risk Assessment: Reviewed and evaluated environmental air data for sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and selected metals to determine possible health effects for people living in a community near an energy-generating station.
PBPK Modeling: Applied PBPK modeling to simulate a range of exposures to trihalomethanes in potable water that could result in blood chloroform levels similar to those measured in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES).
Short-Term Lead Exposure Evaluation: Evaluated the beta version of the US EPA All Ages Lead Model (AALM) to assess the impact of exposure frequency on childhood blood lead levels and evaluate exposure that might occur during day care or for a child exhibiting pica behavior. Determined whether the averaging times applied in the AALM are appropriate for evaluation of short-term exposures at contaminated sites.
PFAS Contamination Evaluation: Designed and implemented a protocol to conduct serial biomonitoring investigations in an area with known PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies and with land application of PFAS-contaminated biosolids.
PFAS Pharmacokinetic Modeling: Combined data from multiple studies to develop harmonized estimates of key pharmacokinetic parameters for PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFHxS that consider interindividual variability. Incorporated these parameters into a suite of one-compartment models that have direct application in risk assessment and risk communication.
Rogers, R. 2024. “Advancing Public Health Research to Address PFAS Concerns – Ongoing Initiatives and Next Steps.” Keynote address presented at the National PFAS Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, June 11.
Rogers, R; Lay, C; Lynch, M; Chiu, W. 2024. “Development of a Suite of One-Compartment Pharmacokinetic Models for PFAS and Implementation as a Resource for Communities with PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water.” Presented at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, Salt Lake City, UT, March.
Lynch, M; Lay, C; Sokolinski, S; Antezana, A; Ghio, C; Chiu, W; Rogers, R. 2023. “Community-facing toxicokinetic models to estimate PFAS serum levels based on life history and drinking water exposures.” Environ. Int. 176:107974.
Hoadley, L; Watters, M; Rogers, R; Siegmann Werner, L; Markiewicz, KV; Forrester, T; McLanahan, ED. 2023. “Public health evaluation of PFAS exposures and breastfeeding: A systematic literature review.” Toxicol. Sci. 194(2):121-137.