Faculty Member
Bruce Urch PhD, DIH
- Email Address(es)
- bruce.urch(at)utoronto.ca
- Office Phone
- 416 978-5886
- Office Address
- Gage bldg, 223 College St., Toronto, ON, room 202B. M5T 1R4
- Division(s)/Institute(s)
- Occupational & Environmental Health Division
- Position
- Adjunct Lecturer
- SGS Status
- Associate (Restricted) Member
Research Interests
- Environmental health
- Exposure assessment
- Urban air quality
- Health effects studies
Education & Training History
Ph.D. 2010 Medical Science, Collaborative Program in Environment & Health, University of Toronto
D.I.H. 1990 University of Toronto
M.Sc. 1986 Exercise Science, University of Toronto
B.Sc. 1978 Physiology, University of Western Ontario
Professional Summary & Appointments
Editorial Advisory Board Member, Open Environmental Sciences Journal
Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (SOCAAR), University of Toronto
Trainee, AllerGen NCE Inc.
Laboratory Technician, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto (retired January 2018)
Current Research Areas
Health effects of air pollution including susceptible populations
Associations between particulate matter constituents and cardiorespiratory health effects
Efficiency of air pollution facemasks
Representative Publications
- Zhong J, Trevisi L, Urch B, Lin X, Speck M, Coull B, Liss G, Thompson A, Wu S, Wilson A, Koutrakis P, Silverman F, Gold D, Wu T, Baccarelli A. 2017. B vitamin supplementation mitigates effects of fine particles on cardiac autonomic dysfunction and inflammation: a pilot human intervention trial. Scientific Reports April 3;7:45322. DOI: 10.1038/srep45322.
- Bellavia A, Urch B, Speck M, Brook RD, Scott JA, Albetti B, Behbod B, North M, Valeri L, Bertazzi PA, Silverman F, Gold D, Baccarelli A. 2013. DNA hypomethylation, ambient particulate matter, and increased blood pressure: findings from controlled human exposure experiments. JAHA. Jun 19;2(3):e000212. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.113.000212.
- Urch B, Speck M, Corey P, Wasserstein D, Manno M, Lukic KZ, Brook JR, Liu L, Coull B, Schwartz J, Gold DR, Silverman F. 2010. Concentrated ambient fine particles and not ozone induce a systemic interleukin-6 response in humans. Inhal Toxicol 22(3):210-218.
- Brook RD, Urch B, Dvonch JT, Bard RL, Speck M, Keeler G, Morishita M, Marsik FJ, Kamal AS, Kaciroti N, Harkema J, Corey P, Silverman F, Gold D, Wellenius G, Mittleman MA, Rajagopalan S, Brook JR. 2009. Insights into the mechanisms and mediators of the effects of air pollution exposure on blood pressure and vascular function in healthy humans. Hypertension 54(3):659-667.
- Urch B, Brook JR, Wasserstein D, Brook RD, Rajagopalan S, Corey P, Silverman F. 2004. Relative contributions of PM2.5 chemical constituents to acute arterial vasoconstriction in humans. Inhal Toxicol 16(6-7):345-352.
- Brook RD, Brook JR, Urch B, Vincent R, Rajagopalan S, Silverman F. 2002. Inhalation of fine particulate air pollution and ozone causes acute arterial vasoconstriction in healthy adults. Circulation 105(13):1534-1536. Selected for Press Release by American Heart Association.