Jillian Ashley-Martin

Research Scientist

Research scientist and epidemiologist with the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Research Platform

Finance Building, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON

Current research and/or projects

Dr. Ashley-Martin's research investigates exposure to and health effects of environmental chemicals during two windows of vulnerability: pregnancy and childhood. This research program addresses data gaps and generates knowledge on:

a) contemporary levels of persistent and newly emerging chemicals in these susceptible populations

b) health effects of exposure to environmental chemicals in mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum time period and in children during, infancy, preschool years, and adolescence

c) application of contemporary epidemiological methods to understand the health effects of chemical mixtures.

Research and/or project statements

- Biomonitoring of newly emerging and persistent chemicals during pregnancy and in childhood using multiple biological matrices

- Comparison of analytic methods for measurement of short-lived chemicals

- Reporting common biases in perinatal environmental epidemiology with an initial focus on maternal metal exposure and gestational diabetes

- Investigating how prenatal and postnatal exposure to environmental chemicals affects childhood growth and development

- Investigating how prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals affect maternal postpartum cardiometabolic health

Education and awards

Cornell University, BSc, Natural Resources,

MGH Institute of Health Professions, MSN, Nursing

Dalhousie University, MSc, Community Health & Epidemiology

Dalhousie University, PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies

Key publications

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Lanphear B, Muckle G, Bouchard MF, Fisher M, Asztalos E, Foster W, Kuhle S. Blood metal levels and early childhood anthropometric measures in a cohort of Canadian children. Environ Res. 2019 Dec;179(Pt A):108736. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108736. Epub 2019 Sep 12. PMID: 31541908.

Ashley-Martin J, Karaceper M, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ettinger AS, Fraser WD, Muckle G, Monnier P, Fisher M, Kuhle S. An examination of sex differences in associations between cord blood adipokines and childhood adiposity. Pediatr Obes. 2020 Mar;15(3):e12587. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12587. Epub 2019 Dec 16. PMID: 31845502.

Shapiro GD, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ashley-Martin J, Fraser W, Fisher M, Taback S, Keely E, Bouchard MF, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Morisset A, Ettinger AS. Exposure to phthalates, bisphenol A and metals in pregnancy and the association with impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus: The MIREC study. Environ Int. 2015 Oct;83:63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.05.016. Epub 2015 Jun 20. PMID: 26101084.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Bouchard MF, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Monnier P, Morisset AS, Ettinger AS. Association between maternal urinary speciated arsenic concentrations and gestational diabetes in a cohort of Canadian women. Environ Int. 2018 Dec;121(Pt 1):714-720. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.008. Epub 2018 Oct 12. PMID: 30321846.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ettinger AS, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Monnier P, Morisset AS, Fraser WD, Bouchard MF. Maternal and cord blood manganese (Mn) levels and birth weight: The MIREC birth cohort study. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2018 Jul;221(6):876-882. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.05.015. Epub 2018 Jun 7. PMID: 29886104.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Marshall J. Prenatal triclosan exposure and cord blood immune system biomarkers. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2016 Jul;219(4-5):454-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 27. PMID: 27167448.

Ashley-Martin J, Lavigne E, Arbuckle TE, Johnson M, Hystad P, Crouse DL, Marshall JS, Dodds L. Air Pollution During Pregnancy and Cord Blood Immune System Biomarkers. J Occup Environ Med. 2016 Oct;58(10):979-986. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000841. PMID: 27483336; PMCID: PMC5704662.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Morisset AS, Fisher M, Bouchard MF, Shapiro GD, Ettinger AS, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Taback S, Fraser W. Maternal and Neonatal Levels of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Relation to Gestational Weight Gain. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Jan 20;13(1):146. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13010146. PMID: 26805861; PMCID: PMC4730537.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Bouchard MF, Fisher M, Morriset AS, Monnier P, Shapiro GD, Ettinger AS, Dallaire R, Taback S, Fraser W, Platt RW. Maternal Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Fetal Markers of Metabolic Function and Birth Weight. Am J Epidemiol. 2017 Feb 1;185(3):185-193. doi: 10.1093/aje/kww213. PMID: 28172036; PMCID: PMC5391709.

Ashley-Martin J, Levy AR, Arbuckle TE, Platt RW, Marshall JS, Dodds L. Maternal exposure to metals and persistent pollutants and cord blood immune system biomarkers. Environ Health. 2015 Jun 18;14:52. doi: 10.1186/s12940-015-0046-3. PMID: 26084354; PMCID: PMC4470054.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ettinger AS, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Taback S, Bouchard MF, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Fraser WD. Maternal blood metal levels and fetal markers of metabolic function. Environ Res. 2015 Jan;136:27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.10.024. Epub 2014 Nov 20. PMID: 25460617.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ettinger AS, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Morisset AS, Taback S, Bouchard MF, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Fraser WD. A birth cohort study to investigate the association between prenatal phthalate and bisphenol A exposures and fetal markers of metabolic dysfunction. Environ Health. 2014 Oct 22;13:84. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-13-84. PMID: 25336252; PMCID: PMC4271497.

Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Levy AR, Platt RW, Marshall JS, Arbuckle TE. Prenatal exposure to phthalates, bisphenol A and perfluoroalkyl substances and cord blood levels of IgE, TSLP and IL-33. Environ Res. 2015 Jul;140:360-8. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.04.010. Epub 2015 Apr 24. PMID: 25913155.

Ashley-Martin J, Woolcott C. Gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention in a cohort of Nova Scotian women. Matern Child Health J. 2014 Oct;18(8):1927-35. doi: 10.1007/s10995-014-1438-7. PMID: 24500210.

Romao RLP, Dodds L, Ashley-Martin J, Monnier P, Arbuckle TE. Prenatal exposure to phthalates and male reproductive system development: Results from a Canadian pregnancy cohort study. Reprod Toxicol. 2020 Aug;95:11-18. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.04.078. Epub 2020 May 5. PMID: 32380128.