Dr. Lo's academic and research background in population health sciences, combined with his training in environmental epidemiology, have prepared him well to conduct research examining the relationship between environmental exposures and chronic disease across various demographic groups. He holds a Ph.D. in Population Health Sciences from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he received comprehensive training in epidemiologic methods, causal inference, geospatial exposure modeling, and health disease prevention research. His doctoral work focused on the intersection of occupational and environmental exposures and lung cancer outcomes, including recurrence and progression. During that time, he led several analyses using large, multi-institutional datasets that integrated clinical records with modeled air pollution exposures, experience that directly informs the analytic and conceptual approach of his work.

Currently, Dr. Lo is a Scientific Researcher in the Epidemiology and Community Health Branch (ECHB) at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH). This Branch is deeply focused on understanding the environmental factors that contribute to cardiopulmonary disease risk, particularly in disease prevention. Under the mentorship of senior investigators in environmental epidemiology and population-based respiratory research, he is building an independent research agenda that focuses on identifying how chemical components of the air exposome influence respiratory health outcomes across different groups.

The ECHB and the broader NIH intramural environment offer unparalleled access to resources and expertise in environmental exposure science, longitudinal data analysis, and clinical epidemiology. These include access to the All of Us Research Program dataset through the NIH Researcher Workbench, ongoing collaboration with environmental health scientists across institutes, and formalized support for grant development and career advancement.

Over the past few years, Dr. Lo has led and contributed to several peer-reviewed publications examining the role of environmental exposures, including urban and rural differences, and structural factors and social determinants of health (SDoH) in shaping health outcomes in both U.S. and international contexts. His first-author publication in JCSM investigated environmental and clinical risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in patients with decompensated heart failure in Mozambique, providing a framework for working with linked clinical and environmental data.

He also contributed to a systematic review published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, focused on how water access—an interdisciplinary project that further strengthened his ability to work across complex datasets and analytic frameworks. He has written and presented on the implications of occupational carcinogen exposure in relation to cancer progression, and is currently first author on two manuscripts under journal review that examine environmental chemical predictors of chronic lung cancer outcomes. These projects underscore his commitment to examining how environmental exposures shape cardiopulmonary health, particularly among high-risk populations.

Selected Publications

Lo S., Yi L., Laden F., Checkoway H., Lanuti M., Gainor J., Shafer A., Christiani D.C. Occupational Exposure to Lung Carcinogens and the Impact on Lung Cancer Recurrence and Progression. 2025. (Under submission)

Lo S., Yi L., Laden F., Salerno S., Lanuti M., Gainor J., Shafer A., Christiani D.C. The Impact of Occupational Asbestos Exposure on Lung Cancer Recurrence and Progression. 2025. (Under submission)

Lo S., Mbanze I., Orr J.E., DeYoung P., Checkoway H., et al. The Prevalence of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Associated Risk Factors in Patients with Decompensated Congestive Heart Failure in Mozambique. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(6):1103–1110. doi:10.5664/jcsm.10510

Lo S., Christiani D. Is “Enough” Really Enough? How Protected Are Our Most Vulnerable Workers—Those That Support Our Country’s Economy and Infrastructure? HPHR. 2021;33. doi:10.54111/0001/GG6

Dr. Lo's long-term objective is to establish himself as a Director of Population Health Sciences, leading a research program that investigates how environmental exposures contribute to the burden of chronic respiratory diseases across the lifespan. His focus is on integrating large-scale cohort data with high-resolution environmental exposure estimates to enhance the precision of exposure-health models. His work continues to build expertise in longitudinal modeling, geospatial analysis, and public health translation while generating evidence to inform environmental health policies and guidelines.

Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors

Positions and Scientific Appointments

2024—Present — Postdoctoral Fellow, National Heart Lung Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

2024—Present — Research Journal Club Lead, National Heart Lung Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

2024—2025 — Admissions Mentor, Solomon Admissions Consulting

2021—2024 — Lead Instructor, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2021—2024 — Residential Life Student Mentor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University

2020—2024 — Ph.D Candidate, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2020—2024 — Graduate Research Lead, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2020—2024 — Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Population Health Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2019—2021 — Public Health Administrative Specialist, Department of Public Health Administration, San Diego County of Public Health

2018—2020 — Graduate Research Assistant, School of Public Health, UC San Diego

2018—2020 — Instructor (Grant Writing), Department of Literature, UC San Diego

2017—2018 — Research Clinical Coordinator, Department of Oncology, UC San Francisco

2015—2017 — Health Promotion Assistant Director, Student Health Services, UC San Diego

2015—2017 — College Transition Mentor, Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services, UC San Diego

2015—2017 — Teaching Assistant, School of Public Health, UC San Diego

2015—2017 — Research Assistant, School of Public Health, UC San Diego

2013—2017 — Lead Team Coordinator (Seasonal), Project Pull Office, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

2013—2014 — Administrative Assistant, Legal Offices, San Francisco Department of Child Support Services

2013—2014 — Inspection Auditing Assistant, Department of Environmental Health, San Francisco County of Public Health

2012—2014 — Classroom Assistant Director, Educational Programs Office, Star Learning Center

2012—2013 — Student Clinical Intern, Summer Program, UC San Francisco

Honors and Awards

2025 — Bridge to Leadership Program Award, National Institutes of Health

2025 — CIMER Entering Mentoring Certificate Program, National Institutes of Health

2025 — Mentor Summer Intern Award, National Institutes of Health

2025 — Grant Writing Training & Mentoring Program, National Institutes of Health

2025 — Judge Certificate of Postbac Poster Day, National Institutes of Health

2025 — Reviewer, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology

2025 — Reviewer, Harvard Public Health Review

2024 — Teaching Fellow Award, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

2024 — Poster Presenter, American Thoracic Society Conference 2024

2022 — Abstract Presenter, American Thoracic Society Conference 2022

2021 — Poster Presenter, Annual Regional National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Young/New Investigators Symposium

2021 — Grant Funding Award, NIOSH Harvard T.H. Chan Education and Research Center (ERC)