Rachel Tumin

Rachel Tumin, PhD is an applied epidemiologist who leads and conducts environmental exposure, public health survey and program evaluation projects. She guides the development of research questions, designs data collection and analysis strategies, and oversees all project activities. Dr. Tumin has directed surveys that included telephone, Internet, mail, and in-person administration and covered a variety of health outcomes, health care, and health systems topics.

Dr. Tumin’s current project portfolio includes two environmental exposure studies. She leads the Michigan Multi-Site Health Study, for which RTI is a subcontractor to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). This study aims to identify links between exposures to PFAS via drinking water and health outcomes in seven communities across the United States. Dr. Tumin also oversees the design and implementation of the Michigan PFAS Exposure and Health Study (MiPEHS), a 5-year, longitudinal study that examines how PFAS blood levels are related to several key health factors over time. RTI has set up local study offices for both studies to collect biospecimen samples, anthropometric measurements, and questionnaire data from eligible residents who consumed PFAS-contaminated water.